Accidental Kings and Queens
by Drinking in Qwerty
Summary: Percy just wants to escape royal life and be himself. Annabeth was kidnapped as a child and has no idea who she really is, only that the Queen is overtaxing her village. When Annabeth sets out to seek help and runs into Percy, they will be forced to face the truth- both about their pasts, and their feelings.
1. Chapter 1- Prologue

**Hey guys, ****Qwerty616120**** here! This is the new story ****PepsiCola541 ****and I are writing together- enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan doesn't write fanfics, so he didn't write this… *sniff***

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**_Prologue_**

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"Mama!"

The throne room doors were thrust open with brute force and a child's strangled cry, and the suddenness of it all made the queen look up from her lap, her bored expression on her face now mingled with slight worry and sternness. She looked up and saw a little boy running towards her, stumbling over his feet.

"What is it, Prince Malcolm?" she asked her small son. He was only six, and his long blonde locks fell into his grey, watery eyes. He rubbed the tears away, kneeling down at his mother's feet.

"I-I… I was going to play with Annab-beth… but… she's not there!" He rushed, exploding in a fit of tears at the end of his statement. Athena stood abruptly from her throne, her brows furrowed and her mouth slightly agape. Prince Malcolm scooted backward so he wouldn't get hit from her force, sprawling out on the marble floor and bawling.

The captain of the guards, one who Athena trusted the most, stepped through the open doors. "Your highness," he started with a short bow before continuing, "What the young prince has told you is, unfortunately, the truth… I've had my men search the entire castle, all of the rooms and corridors… nothing." He raised his hands helplessly and they fell limp at his side. One of the reasons that Athena trusted Captain Brunner so much was that he had so much heart. It was almost impossible to distrust eyes so emotional.

She couldn't bare the pain pooled in his eyes, the pain that she wouldn't let herself feel, so she glanced away quickly. Looking at the marble floor, she said, "Sound the alarms. Search the entire village."

The captain, to her surprise, shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, my queen… but that might not help. We already know what happened to her." Athena looked up, shocked, but before she could utter a word, Captain Brunner silenced her with a thrust of his hand. In it held a small, slightly crumpled note. She snatched it from him hurriedly, her eyes skimming the page.

_"Dear your most grat and honerabel hiness, __We has takin yous dauter for rasom. Once yous pay the price, we wil giv yous prencess bak. Leaf the monie by the sickamore tree on olive street on fryday."_

Athena, trying not to grimace at the misspellings of the kidnappers, turned back to Captain Brunner. "Send your guards to ambush this sycamore tree on Olive Street. Maybe we can-"

Brunner held up a hand. "I already have, your majesty… but-"

"Under no circumstances," Athena quipped curtly, "will you or any of your guards leave the ransom money at the tree. After that thief stole what was left of the tax money… we can't afford to lose any more."

The captain looked as if he wanted to argue, but he relented and nodded, bowing and backing out of the room.

Once all the guards had emptied out of the room, Queen Athena picked up her eldest son, sat on the cold floor, and finally allowed herself to cry with him, their mingled sobs echoing against the hollowed walls.

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"What do you mean, she's been kidnapped?!"

"Lord Hermes, please, calm yourself," Athena stressed, a hand resting on her temple.

"How can I calm myself when my soon-to-be daughter in law has been _kidnapped_?!" He shouted. "I cannot believe this! And you won't pay the ransom money! I knew you were stubborn, Athena, but this… this is madness!"

"You would be smart to close that big mouth of yours, Hermes." Athena said, a dangerous tone to her voice. "You as well as I know that the Athenasia has no more money after the attack on our vaults. And Princess Annabeth is hardly going to be your daughter in law _soon_, as she's only three years old-"

"But she is still betrothed to my son! And if you're still having problems with that attack's aftermath, there's an easy solution- get the villagers to supply it! It's that easy! Just raise the taxes-"

"What money do they have, Hermes? The answer is _none_. They've given all they have to try and help the soldiers. It was the exact wrong time for the princess to be taken, since we're in the middle of a war."

"Like I said, Athena…" the lord leaned close to Athena's ear, and she tried not to shudder. "If you are trying one of your crafty _tricks_… there will be consequences. I am a member of your royal court… but I am not one to make enemies with, remember that. I am not necessarily on your side."

"You are a fool, Hermes," Athena seethed. "As long as I know that your loyalty lies not with me, you _are _an enemy of mine. I suggest you get out of my kingdom, and take Luke with you. You do not deserve the title you give yourself."

Lord Hermes's mouth hung open. "You cannot banish _me, _Queen Athena. Must I remind you what will happen to your beloved kingdom if you try anything against me…" he smiled wickedly at her as he walked to the exit. "I trust you will find your daughter, Athena, and soon…."

As the doors closed with a resounding sound of finality, Athena's mouth formed a thin line. She pressed her emotions to the back of her head, thinking, _Words can be the worst weapons in a battle of the minds._ _Shield yourself, Athena…_

She hadn't wanted her young daughter to be betrothed to Hermes's son, but what was she to do? He had ties to the very kingdom that she was at war with. It was still surprising to her that a small kingdom like Magycan had so much power… It was probably the wizardry at hand, an unfair advantage.

She was also shocked to find that she was a little relieved to find that her daughter had been taken away. Of course, she didn't like that her daughter was in danger… but, at three, Annabeth had a more complicated life than Athena herself could have ever imagined at that age.

Annabeth, being betrothed to two different suitors, would undoubtedly have a very complicated life.

It had only been around eighty days ago that Athena had issued a decree of betrothal to the neighboring king of Pacificantis, as a symbol of peace to both of the kingdoms. She hadn't known that only a few weeks later Lord Hermes, a mischievous, conspiring sort, would threaten her if she didn't allow her daughter to marry his son, Duke Luke (which Athena admittedly remembered with a snort).

What was she to do? Her messenger hadn't even arrived back from delivering the decree to Pacificantis, as it took forever to travel there and back. Unintentionally, Athena had woven a web that trapped her own daughter as a struggling fly, desperate to escape from which she did not understand.

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"From her Royal Highness, Queen Annabeth of Athenasia:

A royal declaration of betrothal from her daughter, Princess Annabeth…" King Poseidon turned his head away uninterestedly, not wanting to hear the long list of names that would undoubtedly follow the princess's name.

The Athenasian guard stood before the very king of Pacificantis, reading out the message written by Athena herself, a timid shudder to his voice. _The lad isn't very strong, is he? _thought King Poseidon, and he chuckled to himself.

"She does know my son is only three, doesn't she?" said the king.

"Ye-yes, sire," stammered the guard. Poseidon noticed that the poor young fellow looked quite dirty and very tired.

"How long have you been traveling, lad?"

"A dozen weeks, Your Highness," he admitted, bowing.

"Why don't you get some rest, fellow," Poseidon said with a generous smile, telling a guard at his side to show him to the guest quarters.

Little did he know the trouble that broiled in Athenasia.

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**Reviews are loved! –PepCo and Qwerty**


	2. Chapter 2- Annabeth's POV

Hey, everybody! :) We're back! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, followed, or added this story to favorites :) You guys are the best!

**Disclaimer: We don't own Percy Jackson… Annabeth Chase does! **

Annabeth's POV

I tossed the chicken feed onto the ground without ceremony, lost in thought. Today was tax day, and my village was going frantic with worry. We'd barely scrapped by before, but this time we just didn't have enough. Our village was starving- there was no way around it. We'd already given everything we could to Queen Athena, and the village leaders were to the point of begging for relief from the overbearing taxes. No doubt there wound be quite a show at the village main house today- not that I would see it. The palace guards would be there, so naturally I wouldn't be allowed to go.

As long as I can remember, it's always been that way. My "adoptive parents", Fredrick and Susan Chase, used to come up with excuses to keep me away from town meetings. It was always "have the floors been cleaned, Annabeth?" Or "have the animals been fed?" When I'd turned 13, I'd begged them to let me go, and they'd told me flat out that I was never going to go to a village meeting. I was 16 now, and the rule had never changed. "Too dangerous," that had been their excuse, even though Matthew and Bobby, their real kids and my younger half-brothers, were always allowed to go.

I was their stepdaughter, in a way. They tell me that they saved me from a slave trader when I was just a toddler, and that I should be thankful. I was, too, even though I got all the chores around the house and was never allowed to go anywhere.

"Annie!" Called a voice from the house, jerking me from my thoughts.

"What?" I called back as Matthew emerged from the little hut.

"Bobby slipped," he informed me.

"Athena's crown," I cursed under my breath. "I'm coming," I called to him, throwing out the last of the chicken feed and heading back to our little house.

Once I was inside our little one-room hut, it wasn't hard to find Bobby. He sat smack in the middle of the dirt floor, crying and holding his scrapped knee with both hands. I picked him up and balanced him on my hip, murmuring reassurances to him while I searched for some bandages.

Sitting down on my straw mat, I gently washed out the scrapped knee with some water Matthew ran and got, making Bobby cry even harder.

"That hurts!" He screamed, trying to twist away from me.

"Bobby, do you want it to get infected?" I snapped. I was normally more patient with my brothers, but today I was in a bit of a bad mood. And no, it had nothingto do with the fact that I was missing yet _another _village meeting.

I finished washing Bobby's knee and wrapped it up in a white bandage.

"There," I said. "See? You're ok."

"It still hurts," he sniffled, and I sighed.

"Give it some time, it'll stop soon," I said, more gently this time.

"Are you coming to the village meeting?" Asked Matthew suddenly.

"No, not this time," I replied tightly.

"Why not?" Whined Matthew. "It's so boring without you there. You never go," he grumbled, like it was my fault.

"I know," I said, sighing again and ruffling his hair. "Maybe next time."

"Bobby? Matthew? I'm home!" Called Susan from the door as she walked in.

"Mom!" They cried happily, both the town meeting and Bobby's scrapped knee forgotten.

"Hey, boys," she smiled. "Bobby, what happened to your knee?"

"I fell down," he said seriously.

"I bet that hurt," she cooed. "I know what'll make you feel better, though!" The two boys immediately began to jump up and down in anticipation.

"What? What? What?" They cried in excitement.

"In the cart there are some chocolates for two little boys who will put the donkey in her pen…" Susan trailed off and Bobby and Matthew shot out the door, eager to get their hands on the sweets.

"Hello, Annabeth," Susan smiled. I smiled back uncomfortably. Susan and I had a fragile relationship, although we were trying to improve it for the sake of Fredrick. (Or, as he insisted I call him, "Dad.")

"Hi, Susan," I said. "Where were you today?" I asked, both trying to make conversation and out of genuine curiosity. After all, Susan didn't work; she normally stayed home and watched the boys.

"I was out looking for possible suitors," she said, not looking at me. I groaned and flopped back down on my straw mat, covering my face with my hands.

"Susan…" I moaned.

"I know, I know. You don't want to get married," Susan said dryly. "But you're 16! _16, _Annabeth, and you haven't made any marriage plans! Aren't your friends all married by now?"

"What friends?" I grumbled. "You never let me go anywhere."

"Annabeth…" Susan warned.

"It's true," I argued.

"We've been through this before. It's far too dangerous."

"Dangerous? How?!" I cried, frustrated. "Just let me go, just this once! Please!"

"Annabeth!" Susan snapped. "The answer is no, just like it's always been."

"Bobby and Matthew get to go!" I objected.

"This conversation is over, Annabeth. The answer is _no."_

I stormed out of the house, furious. I could be helpful at those meetings! I'm pretty intelligent- I'd have a change reasoning with those guards, unlike most of the uneducated village leaders. I walked to the large oak tree in our backyard, climbing as high as I could go, where the branches bent under my weight and the wind swayed me back and forth.

From my perch, I could see our entire village. From so high up, the small cluster of huts looked insignificant. Was that how Queen Athena viewed our village? Insignificant and tiny? I had no idea. I didn't even know what her castle looked like, or how big it was. I was never allowed to visit the Queen's City, naturally. The Queen's City was like her capital- where all the rich people lived and where the castle was. I'd thought about it so much it even popped up in my dreams, me running through stone corridors and waving to chain-mail clad guards.

From below me my family leave the house and load into the cart, ready to go to the village main house. I watched as they stopped in front of the largest hut and walked in, closely followed by small silver figures- the palace guards.

I sat there and watched the hut, wishing I knew what was going on. It was easy to imagine Astor Grey, one of the elderly village leaders, apologetically informing the guards that we couldn't cough up the taxes this time. But the guards' reaction… would they simply return later? Burn down out village? Sell us as slaves? As extreme as they sounded, they were all valid possibilities.

Suddenly the door to the large hut burst open and a small form- Astor Grey?- was thrown forward. The village people pooled out of the building, and everyone was obviously unhappy. The silver clad guards surrounded the swarming crowd, and some soldiers split off and began entering houses.

I watched as one guard entered our house, promising myself that if he tried to set fire to our hut, I would go down and stop him in any way possible. But none of the huts- our included- started to smoke. They _weren't _setting fire to our village- so what were they doing?

I felt my stomach turn as a guard exited our house, carrying a familiar sack. Our food. They were taking our food in place of the money. Our village had been on the brink of starvation before- now we were guaranteed to starve. I felt a surge of anger run through me- toward the queen, toward the guards, but most of all, toward myself for not being able to stop any of it. We had no food, and no money to buy more food.

I made up my mind right there that this was the last time I would ever feel so helpless- I was going to save our village if it was the last thing I did.

**Once again, reviews are loved and appreciated :) –Qwerty and PepCo **


	3. Chapter 3- Percy's POV

**Hey, guys, It's PepsiCola541! I just wanted to apologize in advance if this chapter is horrible. I'm not too familiar with first person, because I haven't written in that style in a long time, but I hope I did okay. :) Oh, and also, I'll be writing Percy's POV's and Qwerty is gonna write Annabeth's, because I make Annabeth cry too much (see Reopened Chapters for proof of that!), so she'll give Annabeth's POV justice. :) Thanks from the both of us, and hope you enjoy!**

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**Percy's POV**

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The cave is dark and dank, with the promise of unseen things hiding in the shadows. I know we can't camp here for long, for fear of being seen- or worse, captured- but I'm so tired, and I know my comrades are, too.

Still, I unwillingly rise from the dusty ground, my muscles screaming in protest. Stretching my aching body, I halfheartedly rub the dirt off of my clothes and walk over to shake the others awake.

When I lean down and start to prod Conner, he lashes out with his dagger, pinning me up against the rock wall before gathering his bearings. "You know never to wake me that suddenly!" he grumbles, lowering his knife and rubbing his face with his free hand. Conner's never told anyone why he won't sleep without a knife in his hand, and I almost don't want to know. I only asked once, and the warning glare he sent my way was enough for me to never ask again.

Travis, however, is the complete opposite of Conner when it comes to mornings. He's usually spry and ready for business a few minutes after he wakes, unlike his identical brother. That's what's odd about the two of them- they're not twins, like they appear to be. Just identical brothers. Go figure.

I don't even have to say a word to Thalia- she's already awake, standing with her back against the wall, fingering a bow. Thalia is my cousin, and maybe the best fighter I've ever known. She's the only one left who knows my past… at least, the only one I travel with. My past is behind me, and she's agreed that we're starting a whole entire life outside of… them.

Conner and Travis have a silent agreement with Thalia and I- we don't talk about who we were, or anything about our pasts. When they first realized that Thalia and I could read and do some math, they both raised their eyebrows but didn't pester us about how we ended up being learned. Which is why our group works so well.

"Perce, don't forget your sword," Thalia singsongs, not even looking up from the arrowhead she's started to rub against the rock wall, sharpening it. Of course, I am pretty forgetful, so it's pretty intuitive that I'll forget something along the way. A piece of bread here, a copper coin there. I roll my eyes, sending her a look, but kneel down and retrieve my sword.

"What's the plan today?" mumbles Conner, still looking a bit peeved from his rude awakening.

"Well, I-"

Thalia cuts me off, spreading a hand-drawn map on the ground. I guess that that's the last bit of her parchment left, and it worries me a little that she has to be so organized. Parchment is expensive, and there's absolutely no way that we're going to ever return to… home… to replenish our supply of it. And there's hardly a reason for it- she's just too persnickety to let go of her past indulgences.

"We'll start here…" she points to a specific point on the map. "Then we can hide out here until the coast is clear… And there's a bridge, so if a chase sets in, we can trick the guards into thinking we're not there by hiding under there…"

I'll give Thalia one thing- she sure does know how to plan well. Up until now, her plans haven't failed, and the poor people of Athenasia are earning their taxes back, coin by coin. You could say that we're taking a feather out of Robin Hood's cap. Because, okay, the technical term is that we're "thieves". I like to think that we're just giving the people back their hard-earned taxes, but unfortunately the guards don't share in that opinion.

"Percy! Stop zoning out. Is this okay?" Thalia's icy glare shocks me a bit, and I stutter.

"Uh, yeah, sure." She keeps glaring for a few seconds before sighing, turning to the map again, and carefully rolling it into a scroll before putting it safely in her rucksack.

Travis is already packed, helping his grumpy brother get his things together. Thalia glances over at them for a second before turning her gaze to my eyes and dropping her voice to a harsh whisper. "Don't forget that we have to be extra careful today… I heard that Pacificantis is sending their soldiers into Athenasia. You never know who might recognize us." She pulls her hood over her head for good measure, motioning for me to do the same- although I don't really need to, since Thalia demanded on outfitting me in a bandit's mask a long time ago.

"We're ready," Travis and Conner say simultaneously, although Conner's voice is an octave lower and less enthusiastic than Travis's. Thalia nods at me, and we exit the cave quietly. It's dark outside- the perfect cover, and the exact reason why Conner's mad, since he hasn't conformed to the whole 'nocturnal sleeping schedule' we so often sleep to.

We flee, our footsteps strangely silent on the leafy grounds of the forest. We're making good time, since it isn't even dawn yet, but we still have a long ways to go to get to the village on foot. I tried to persuade Thalia to nab a few horses when we first decided to do our "thieving," but she insisted that we not steal more than we have to, since we're doing this for the people.

We don't mention to each other that maybe we're just doing this not only for them, but for ourselves. To forget our pasts…

I shake my head. That's over, and I shouldn't be thinking about it.

Thalia suddenly thrusts her hands out in front of us, stopping us dead in our tracks. "Listen," she whispers, her voice soft as the wind.

There's a bird screeching in the distance, and I'm not sure what she means by looking so… scared. I decide not to question her motives just yet, listening harder… And then I realize that it's not a bird. It's a girl.

"We have to help," she says, breaking away from us and darting around trees, not listening to my protest. Travis gives me a helpless look and, grabbing Conner's wrist, races after her. I don't have any choice, it seems, so I follow.

The screams get louder and louder as we get closer. I can't see hardly anything two feet in front of me, and I unsheath my sword. The elfin-made blade glows dimly, easing the darkness a bit so I can see a little more clearly. A hand grabs me from below and another covers my mouth, in case of another scream, this time coming from me.

"Shhh." It's Thalia. "Wait until my signal."

Once I regain sight of the scene again, I try to find out what's going on. There's a girl surrounded by bandits- actual bandits, not ones like us. Ones that want to loot everyone without a second thought, no matter the cost of the original owner of the prizes they wish to obtain.

The girl screams again, but a bandit groans and stuffs cloth in her mouth, muffling her cry. One of the bandits holds her hands behind her back.

"Ain't no one gonna hear her out here anyway," the bandit mumbles, earning a hit to the back of his head by another of the group.

"Silence, fool," says the bandit who hit him. "I am your leader, and you'll obey what I tell you to do." It sounds a bit overrated, since the 'leader' is slightly smaller then the others, but they don't question him. "Now, little girl… where is it?"

She makes muffled noises against the cloth, and the bandit leader motions for it to be removed. She doesn't scream again, but sets her jaw in defiance.

The leader slaps her, hard, across her cheek. I feel Thalia flinch at the sound.

"Tell me!" he orders. His hand is poised in slapping stance, warning of worse pain to come. But the girl is obviously brave. From what I can see in the dim light of the moon paired with my sword, she doesn't even break eye contact with the guy.

She doesn't say anything, earning two slaps this time around.

"Where is the golden dagger?!" he shouts. She still doesn't relent. He slaps her continuously, and Thalia growls, ready to get up and take him on.

"Why, I oughta…" she mutters. But she knows it's not the right moment yet. I can tell waiting here watching this happen is obviously killing her.

"Search her again!" he barks, and his men pat her down. She squirms in protest, and I hope against hope they don't search her too well.

I look at Thalia, desperately, and she nods.

"Now."

In a flash of intensity, the four of us break out from behind the bush and charge for them. It's probably the stupidest thing we've ever done, since we have no plan and were about twice outnumbered. But these guys, bulky and muscular, are no match for our quick and agile movements. They were too slow. I duck and tumble under their sword thrusts. Thalia releases three bows at once, and they somehow all meet their targets. Connor goes for the close fighting, his dagger trying to catch breaks in their armor, and Travis battles two at once with his katana. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to grab the girl and make away, facing off two with my sword.

It was going fine, until I realize I had backed my way toward a cliff. The girl behind me screams, "What are you _doing_?!" but I hardly hear her over the loud pounding of my heart in my ears.

The three bandits I was facing smile gold-toothed smiles, knowing this is the end. "Hand over the girl," one says, motioning to her with his sword, "and I'll spare your life, little boy."

I don't move. My arm is frozen, outstretched in front of her as if I could protect her with just that.

In one swift moment, my eyes meet with Thalia's across the expanse of forest, and I've hardly ever seen that look in her eyes. Fear.

I set my jaw, thinking of how the girl behind me had looked so determined not to lose. I can't lose, either. I won't. But how will I be able to win? I'm on a cliff, for god's sake.

Then the thought comes to me in a split second, as the bandit's sword is slashing through the air toward me. It's my only escape. Maybe I'm heading toward my death, but maybe, just maybe, it could work…

I duck away as the sword passes over me, missing my head by a quarter of an inch. Grabbing the girl by the waist, I jump, right over the edge of the cliff.

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**It's a cliffy… Literally xD Love you all, and review, review, review! –Qwerty and PepCo**


	4. Chapter 4- Annabeth's POV

** Hey, guys! We're back! :) Also- you may have noticed we've been updating every Wednesday. We're going to try to keep up this pattern, so you can look forward to the regular updates. :) And, of course, thanks to everyone who has favorited/followed/reviewed. You guys are amazing! **

**Disclaimer: *To the tune of "Jack be Nimble"* **

**Qwerty, be plainer,**

**PepCo, be braver,**

**Come on, say it**

**The disclaimer**

**Qwerty jumped high**

**PepCo jumped low**

**They both avoided saying it**

**And both made a foe… :O**

Annabeth's POV

The wind ripped the air from my lungs as I free fell toward the crashing surf below me. I couldn't even scream, although pure terror cursed through my body. My terror-numbed mind did manage one thought, though: _I never should have left home. _

-The previous night-

"Annabeth? What are you doing?" The sleepy question came from Bobby, who had some how woken up despite my efforts to be silent. "Are you…packing?" He gasped, wide-awake now.

"Shh," I whispered quickly. "Don't wake everyone else!"

"Why are you packing?" He repeated, quieter this time. I looked down at my small bag, which held a spare outfit, the little money I still had, and my golden dagger.

"I'm leaving," I told him, not meeting his gaze.

"Why?" He asked, sounding hurt. "Don't you _like _living here?"

"Bobby," I sighed. "Of course I like living here. But what happened today- those soldiers…" I trailed off, and image of the solider taking our food flashed through my mind. "It can't happen again. It shouldn't be happening in the first place!" In my anger, my voice rose and I paused to calm down again. "I'm going to Pacificantis. Maybe their king will be willing to send help." It was a small hope, but right now, it was all I had.

"You'll come back, right?"

Of course that was what he wanted to know.

"Yes, I'll come back," I assured him, feeling my stomach knot in unease. _Lying to a child, _scolded the sensible part of my mind. _It's not a lie, _the other part of me argued, even though I knew it might as well be. Wandering around the kingdom by myself wasn't exactly the smartest idea I'd ever had, and I could easily get hurt with no one to help me. _I have to do something, _I reassured myself.

"Bobby, can you do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Can you give this note to Dad and Susan for me?"

"Ok," Bobby sniffled. "Bye, Annie." I grabbed my bag and left, whispering a "Bye," over my shoulder when I reached the doorway. I wasn't even sure he heard me, but I felt better knowing I'd said it.

When I reached the dirt road, I took a look back. Through the open doorway, I could see Bobby's silhouette as he read the letter I'd told him to give to our parents. I wonder what he thought of what I'd written.

_Dear Dad and Susan, _

_ I'm heading to Pacificantis to get help. Maybe King Poseidon will be able to save us from the Queen's taxes somehow. Don't worry about me- I'll be fine. (Susan, I'll even keep an eye open for possible suitors, if it makes you feel any better.) Not all royals can be bad. Maybe some of them will help us. _

_ I'll be back as soon as I can, _

_ Annabeth _

Turning back to the dirt road, I brushed the thoughts aside and focused on the journey ahead of me.

-Line Break-

The smell of cooking rabbit made my stomach knot in hunger and I yawned, exhausted from traveling all night. I'd made good time- I'd gotten out of the village and was officially on my way to Pacificantis- but exhaustion and hunger had eventually forced me to stop.

After finding a small clearing in the woods, I'd caught and killed a rabbit with my dagger and all but collapsed next to the fire I'd made, my feet numb from walking so long. Now, as I waited for the rabbit to cook, I turned the golden dagger over in my hands, running one finger over the engraving on the side.

The hilt had a small owl engraved in the side and above it _Wisdom _was written in Greek. I'd had the dagger for as long as I could remember, although I had no idea where I'd gotten it. Dad had always told me that I'd had it when they'd rescued me from the slave traders, although I had no idea how even the slave traders had come by the weapon. It was finally crafted, fit for a queen.

When I'd turned twelve, I'd convinced (if you asked him, he'd say "blackmailed") a neighborhood boy to teach me to use it, and, if I do say so myself, I was pretty good at fighting with it. Susan had been appalled when she found out I'd learned how to fight, but I was proud of the skill. Not many girls could take care of themselves as well as I could.

"…now?…" The fragment of a voice floated across the clearing to me, and I was immediately alert.

"…fool!…heard us…"

"NOW!" The moment the word was uttered, the figures burst forth from their hiding place among the bushes. I froze, because it wasn't hard to tell who they were. With scraggly half-grown beards and missing teeth, their poor hygiene and odd outfits could only mean one thing: bandits.

I considered trying to fight my way out with my dagger, but there were too many of them, and they had me surrounded. _I don't have any valuables, _I reasoned, adrenaline driving my exhaustion away. _Well, besides my dagger. If they don't see that, maybe they'll go find some rich traveler to ambush and leave me alone._

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to play the dumb blonde card. I hate acting so pitiful, but I was sorely out numbered.

"Bandits," one man- the leader, I assumed- sneered with no shame. "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"Do what?" I asked, trying to control my racing heart and forcing myself to sound simple-minded.

"The golden knife. Hand it over, sweetheart," the leader ordered. Another man with a potbelly and a stink that I could smell despite the fact that he was a good seven feet away from me smirked, looking me up and down.

"She sure is pretty, ain't she?" He said, grinning at my obvious discomfort.

"We just want her dagger, Barlow," the leader scolded, turning back to me. "Now, where is it?"

"What dagger?" I asked, amazed at how steady my voice sounded.

"Don't play dumb with us," snarled the fat one, Barlow. "We seen it with our own eyes."

_I'm not playing dumb, _I thought sourly. _I'm speaking your language. You're clearly fluent in idiot. _Aloud, though, I only said, "Sorry? Maybe you need glasses."

Barlow lunged toward me, snarling, "I'll teach you some respect!" Abandoning the dumb act, I snapped back, "Not likely!" and punched him as hard as I could in the jaw.

I'm proud to say he reeled back in shock, gently rubbing his jaw. _That should leave a nice sized bruise, _I thought proudly. Furious now, Barlow lunged again, his eyes bright with pain and rage, but with another well placed punch- this one to the nose- I heard a satisfying crack and he stumbled back, dazed. His bent and bloody nose was no doubt broken, which I don't mind saying I was quite proud of.

"Think you're tough, huh?" Snarled the leader, obviously not happy at having his right hand man shown up by a sixteen-year-old girl. "You know the procedure, boys." The moment the words left his mouth the bandits surged forward, closing in on me.

I kicked and punched, determined not to go down without a fight, but was soon overwhelmed. I'd managed to knock three bandits out, but it just wasn't enough. One grabbed my arms and wrenched them behind my back, making me cry out with pain, and another grabbed a cloth, no doubt to gag me. Barlow, holding his bloody nose with one hand, started to search me, much to my fury.

Not finding the dagger (which I had tucked in my boot) he grabbed the gag. Desperately I began to scream, praying someone would hear me.

"Shut up!" Barlow growled, shoving the gag in my mouth and silencing me. "Ain't no one gonna hear her out here anyway," he muttered to the leader, who in turn smacked him over the back of the head.

"Silence, fool," the leader snarls. "I am your leader, and you'll obey what I tell you to do." I rolled my eyes in spite of myself- this was a robbery, not an action play. "Now, little girl…where is it?"

I struggled against the bandit holding my hands back, shouting profanities at the leader that the cloth (sadly) muffled. The leader motioned for the cloth to be removed, and I took a deep breath, determined to keep my temper under control and show them that they hadn't won. Setting my jaw, I glared at him in defiance, trying to channel all my hate into that one look.

The leader slapped me hard, making my face sting and my eyes water, but I reused to cry out. "Tell me!" He cried, clearly frustrated, his hand raised as if warning me he wasn't afraid to hit me again. He looked me right in the eye, probably expecting me to cower in his glare, but I wouldn't. Raising my head, I glared right back.

He blinked for a moment, looking surprised, but then the look is replaced by fury and he slaps me again, twice. My face felt like it was burning, but I was determined not to show the bandit leader that.

"Where is the golden dagger?" He yells, outraged. I kept my silence, glaring at him defiantly. Growling, he started to hit me again, and I could just imagine the ugly bruise that will be there tomorrow morning. "Search her again!" He orders, and I twisted away in protest.

Suddenly the bushes off to the right exploded as four figures raced out, looking furious. They must have realized how outnumbered they were, but they didn't back down. In the skirmish that followed I couldn't get a good look at their faces, but they were clearly excellent fighters.

Using their agility and speed against the bandits, for a moment it almost looked like they might win. Then the moment was over and the bandits began to regroup, striking back with renewed energy. I wanted to scream at how unfair it all was- this fight was about as uneven as it got, and the worst bit? I wasn't a part of it. Help hostage like some damsel in distress, rescued by strangers- I felt completely humiliated.

One of the new comers broke away, a lean boy with black hair and a long bronze sword. Running toward me, he wrenched me from the bandit holding me back, fighting him off. The other bandits quickly surrounded us, realizing that they were about to lose their prize.

This idiot clearly hadn't thought his attack through, either, because soon we were backed up against the cliff.

"What are you _doing_?!" I cried in outrage, but either the guy didn't hear me, or he just ignored me. The three bandits steadily coming closer smirked, knowing there's no escape for us now.

"Hand over the girl," said Barlow, his murderous gaze on me. "And I'll spare your life, little boy." The boy froze, his arm in front of me.

For a brief moment, defeat and fear flashed across his face, and Barlow grinned his nasty smile triumphantly. Then, suddenly, the boy's expression hardened. He had a plan.

Barlow must have realized that something was wrong, because suddenly his sword was in the air, making its fatal arc toward the boy's head. He ducked just in time, the sword only just missing him, and grabbed me by the waist. I was about to shove him off me and demand to know _what on earth he thought he was doing_ when he did something completely insane.

He jumped off the cliff.

And he took me with him.

The rocky surf below me rushed up toward me incredibly fast as I tried to scream. Terror made my vision blur and the wind stole my breath, but suddenly the boy was doing something… was he… whistling? Was he completely insane?!

I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting to die. Then, suddenly, I landed on something with a hard _thump. _I opened my eyes in shock and found myself on a pegasus's back.

Then I realized I was sliding off the pegasus. I'd landed awkwardly, and the pegasus's fur was already slick with sea spray. Sliding off, another scream escaped me and the boy turned, his eyes widening when he saw me disappear.

I was falling again, certain death just below me, when he lunged forward and grabbed my hand, pulling me up with a grunt. Shaking and wet with sea spray, I clung to the boy's waist, trying to even out my heartbeat. He directed the pegasus up, flying away from the screaming bandits below us.

"Who _are _you?" I managed. He turned to me, offering me a lopsided grin.

"I'm Percy Jackson."

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	5. Chapter 5- Percy's POV

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**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan, the master troll himself, owns all. **

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Percy's POV

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The feeling of flying is incomparable, in my opinion, anyway. And flying over the ocean makes the memory even more valuable, even more wonderful and awe-inspiring.

Well, it would have been an absolutely breathtaking experience except for the fact that she would not stop screaming. No matter what tactic I took, no matter how hard I tried not to freak her out even more, she let out loud, ear piercing yelps. _Did she want to give away the fact that we actually hadn't fallen to our deaths? _That was our cover, after all. Finally, I let go of the sea-slippery mane of my pegasus and covered her mouth.

"Will you _stop_?" I stressed. My head was already pounding from the sheer adrenaline of escaping her captors- I didn't need any added pain. Her eyes didn't look fearful, however- rather, they looked me over with a kind of hardened exuberance, as if she was almost enjoying the pegasus ride but didn't want to let on that she did. I had a bad feeling that she wasn't going to be easy to win over- friendship-wise, of course. It's not like I was going to _court _her or anything. I grinned, shaking my head at the strangeness of that prospect.

It took her a second, as she gained her courage to let one arm loose from around my waist, but she finally took my hand down from her mouth. "Fine," she said, her shaking voice betraying the adventurous spirit she wished to portray.

I sighed. "Thank you. Just relax, okay?"

She pressed her lips together, her eyes reflecting the ocean with a stormy, blue-gray look to them. After I'd been looking at her profile for a few seconds, she caught me staring and glared, causing me to look away, embarrassed.

"Where are you from?" The question came from her, an arbitrary means of conversation. I didn't respond at first. I couldn't very well tell her where I was from, nor could I say I was a bandit. "I- I'm, well, a merchant."

She looked at me skeptically. "A merchant who rides a Pegasus and wears the clothes of a bandit?"

_Shoot. _Either she was incredibly smart, or I was incredibly dumb. "Uh… Well. You see, I'm a merchant-"

She cut me off. "I know who you are." My stomach clenched as she continued. "You're a merchant who steals from people!" She openly slapped her own forehead with her palm. "How could I have been so _ignorant_? I shouldn't have ever gone in that direction of the woods…" she trailed off, presumably talking to herself in her own head.

I laughed nervously. "No, actually… I am a bandit. But not like the ones that you were captured by. I- well, my… _group_- we steal from kingdoms who steal from their citizens. Do you understand what I mean?'

Her eyes were wide, but she nodded soundlessly. "I actually was heading to the neighboring kingdom of Athenasia to seek help. The queen is relentless with her ploys for money. They've started taking our food…" she looked down. "Anyway. I haven't introduced myself to you. I'm Annabeth." she held out her free hand, which I took with a smirk.

"Old fashioned," I noted, teasing, and she sent me another glare.

"You better hold your tongue, Jackson," she quipped. "I'm not above hitting Robin Hood style thieves. Even if they have the best intentions."

That last sentence kept me wondering, but she seemed to realize we were still in the air and dug her nails into my side. I shouted indignantly, which made her grip retract, but she still looked lost in her frightened state.

"Does… does it know where it's going?" she said, biting her lip.

"_His _name is Blackjack," I told her. "And yes, he knows where to go, since I'm directing him."

"How are you directing him?!" she asked, flabbergasted.

"Well, it's a little complicated," I started. "When a person- usually of royalty- is present when the Pegasus foal is born, the foal whinnies their name, and you have to repeat it back to them for them to give their loyalty to you. Then the foal has the ability to speak telepathically with the person, and vice versa."

I'd hoped she wouldn't catch on that it was odd that I had a Pegasus, but apparently my hope was completely lost on her. "So… are you saying that you're royalty?" I felt her body inch away from me, as if I was some sort of slimy snake she couldn't let go of but really, really wanted to release.

"No," I lied. Well, really, I wasn't. I wasn't going back. "I, erm, I was a stable-hand when the prince of Pacificantis was trying to be present during the process, but the prince was squeamish being in the presence of a birthing mare, so I ended up being the one with the colt."

"Oh," she said, apparently pondering if that made any sense. "I guess that's possible." Her brows furrowed. "Anyway, that's a really strange prospect. I never really was aware of how Pegasi worked…" she chattered on to herself in wonder.

Happy she hadn't questioned the topic of me being royal, I sighed in relief, too late realizing that her hand was still clinging to my waist- feeling the rise and fall of my chest. I saw her eyeing me out of the corner of my eye, but I decided not to make eye contact. I was already a bad enough liar that I didn't need her to be looking into my eyes. _The eyes are the windows to the soul, Percy. In a battle of the minds, that can be your opponent's trump card. _

I didn't want to think about my tutor's words of wisdom now. That Percy was dead.

_We're here, boss, _Blackjack whispered silently. I reached up and scratched behind his ears, just as he liked, and he nickered happily in response. He landed near a cave, still surrounded by trees. _We're not out of the woods yet, _I thought to myself. _Literally. _

I jumped off of Blackjack's back, holding out a hand for Annabeth to take. She took it, but continued to sit where she'd been the whole ride, frozen by fear.

"Annabeth," I coaxed. "It's okay."

"I'm fine," she blurted, not sounding at all fine. I supposed that she was just afraid of falling off again like she had earlier, so I didn't say any more.

Blackjack, hearing my thoughts as he did, leaned down to the grass in a bow, making it easier for Annabeth to dismount. She sighed in relief, shaking a bit once her boots had hit the ground and patting the pegasus's ear. He whinnied, glad for the attention, and proceeded to graze.

Annabeth turned towards me, glancing back at Blackjack. "Don't Pegasi travel in groups? I mean, I've never seen one stray from a flock."

"Well, royal Pegasi are tamed so that they help humans. Or, especially, the human they have given their loyalty to. But if the Pegasi turned from humans and started a war- just like the one a century ago- he'd be expected to return to his flock. But," I said, looking down, "Blackjack… he's a special case. He's… he was banished from his flock."

Those stormy eyes suddenly rushed to meet mine, fury in the stormy gray irises. "Why? What did he do?"

I couldn't very well tell her that it was my fault. If I hadn't run away, Blackjack wouldn't have followed, and his flock wouldn't have cast him aside for helping me.

"We better start a fire," I said, looking towards the darkening sky. It would be night soon. "I'll go with Blackjack to get some firewood before it gets too dark." I turned away so I wouldn't have to watch her stare blankly after me, lost in thought as she was.

Blackjack must have noticed my inner turmoil. _It's okay, boss, _he said. _I never needed anyone else but my best friend._

I realized he meant that I was his best friend. Granted, I didn't push him to do anything terribly hard like other Pegasi masters did, but it still threw me for a loop. _Thanks, Blackjack. _He nuzzled my neck, nipping at my ear playfully.

Now that I didn't know where Thalia was, Blackjack was really the only one I had connecting me to Pacificantis. I still worried that he'd be caught and taken back to my father's kingdom, tortured until he told his flock where I was. Ever since Thalia, the Stolls, and I had taken up thievery, I'd just let Blackjack go wherever he liked, but what if he really was captured? And, now that I had another life on my hands, what might happen to Annabeth?

_Firewood, boss, _Blackjack said, snapping me out of my worried state.

_Right. _

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**There you have it! Reviews are loved, tell us what you think! :) **

**-PepCo and Qwerty**


	6. Chapter 6- Annabeth's POV

** Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! :) **

**Disclaimer: RR owns all.**

Annabeth's POV

I watched as Percy disappeared into the woods to collect more firewood, leaving me alone with Blackjack. He had to be the most infuriating person I'd ever met- he'd rescued me, which I resented, but, on the other hand, he might have saved my life.

And the thievery… stealing _back?_ I'd never considered it before, although now that I thought about it…

"He might not be telling the truth," I told myself aloud, although I couldn't think of a reason for him to lie. Turning with a sigh, my eyes fell Percy's satchel.

"One way to find out…" I muttered, kneeling next to the bag and pushing my guilt down. After all, it wasn't like I was stealing anything. One look couldn't hurt, could it?

Opening the bag, I poured the contents onto the ground. Next to me, Blackjack whined uneasily like he wasn't sure whether to stop me or not.

On the ground in front of me I had to admit I didn't see anything strange. A map, some money, and a couple letters. I picked up the letters uncertainly. _Annabeth! That's a major invasion of privacy! _The sensible part of me scolded. In the end, my curiosity won out. Unfolding the first letter, I scanned it quickly:

_Dear Perseus, _

_ Please don't think of your father to harshly. He did what he thought was best for our family. I left because I had to- not because he made me. I know you feel like he doesn't care, but he does, I promise. He loves you. _

_ I know you'll do the right thing in the end, _

_ -Mom _

The second letter was slightly longer, but not by much:

_Hey Percy, _

_ I heard you ran away- I don't know what you're thinking, but I like it! Whatever trouble you're about to get into, I want in! Meet me by the pine tree just outside your mother's village. _

_ By the way, I don't know what you've heard, but your father is furious. Kinda like my dad was when I ran away, but worse. Much worse. He thinks you're tying to leave him without a son to take over when he passes away. I think Old Seaweed has finally lost it. _

_ Anyway, see you by the pine tree. You better be there! _

_ -T.G. _

I stared at the signature in confusion_._T.G.? Who was T.G.? Shaking it off, I moved on to the third and final letter:

_Percy, _

_ I'm in; I'll let the others know. Meet me at the pine tree- we can use the caves nearby like a base. I hope you know what you're doing. _

_ -Grover _

"Find what you were looking for?" Asked an angry voice suddenly. I jerked my head up to see Percy in front of me, his hands full of wood. For once, I didn't know what to say.

"Gods, I save your life, and you already don't trust me?" He said, dumping the firewood in a pile and grabbing his bag.

"I didn't ask you to save my life," I retorted as he shoved his stuff back in the bag. "I would have handled it!" Percy just stared at me in disbelief.

"I can't believe this," he muttered under his breath.

"It wasn't like I was going to steal anything," I continued. "I just didn't know if I could trust you."

"I saved your life!"

"You pushed my off a cliff," I argued back.

"To get you away from the bandits!"

"Which I could've handled!" I snapped. Percy just stared at me.

"Are you serious, Annabeth? You were badly outnumbered, near a cliff, and _'you would've handled it'_?!"

"Yes," I told him stubbornly. Percy just shook his head again in disbelief.

"Do you trust me now that you've gone through all my stuff?" He asked, still sounding angry, although not as mad as before. I was tempted to ask who T.G. was and why he'd left home, but held my tongue. Now obviously wasn't the time.

"Yes," I murmured. "Sorry," I added, swallowing my pride with difficulty. I hated apologizing to people, but I didn't want Percy to storm off and leave me. Not only did I have no idea where we were, but I was still interested in his gang of Robin Hood style thieves.

Percy took a deep breath, but nodded.

"It's ok," he told me, turning to the pile of firewood. "I don't suppose you can make a fire?"

"You can't build fires?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't that a basic bandit skill?"

"Probably," Percy admitted, looking embarrassed. "Thalia normally builds our fires, though."

"Thalia?" I asked, grabbing two rocks and hitting them together over the wood to create a spark.

"My cousin," he told me. "Thalia Grace." _Thalia Grace… T.G._ I smiled with satisfaction, glad to have that figured out.

"Oh," I said. "Grace… that sounds familiar." Percy's face paled and he cursed under his breath.

"Common name," he offered lamely. I shot him a skeptical look, but didn't push it.

"So," he said quickly, trying to change the subject. "Athenasia, huh?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "Have you ever been there?"

"Nope," he replied honestly. "My father never really liked Athenasia- no offense- so I've never been. I've heard the Queen's City is really pretty, though," he offered.

"I wouldn't know," I admitted. "I've never been. When my family went, I always had to stay home."

"Why?"

"I don't know," I sighed. "I just had over-protective parents, I guess."

"I know _that _feeling," Percy snorted. "My dad always had really…high… expectations of me, so I never really got to do much. I was always supposed to be the perfect son."

"What, you?" I asked in mock horror, trying to lighten the mood. Thankfully, it worked.

"Oh, that was low, Chase," he joked.

"Just being honest," I quipped. Percy snorted in response, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sure," he told me. Maybe it was just my imagination, but he seemed relieved not to be talking about home and his family.

"So these bandits of yours…" I began, shooting him a quick glance. He was leaning against a spare log, listening while he sharpened his sword against a stone.

"Yeah?"

"Do you accept new recruits?" I asked, watching him out of the corner of my eye so I could see his reaction to my question.

"Yeah, sometimes. I mean, if they can fight and- whoa, wait a minute. Why do you care?" He asked suspiciously.

"Oh, just wondering," I said innocently. I could tell he didn't believe me.

"Annabeth…" He trailed off, shooting me a look. "Why do you want to know?"

"It's an interesting idea," I said, trying to sound casual. "Stealing back."

"Not many people see it that way," he warned. "To most people, bandits are just bandits."

"Nobles and royalty, maybe," I objected. "People who don't benefit from it. But your group- you fight back. You don't let them get away with overtaxing commoners."

"Yeah," he agreed, still looking at me suspiciously. "You really like that, don't you?"

"Who wouldn't?" I asked.

"The nobles who have put a good amount of money on our heads," he replied.

"They have a reward available for anyone who kills you?" I asked, feeling sick. Thankfully, though, my voice didn't shake.

"Kills or captures," he confirmed, studying me carefully. "It's dangerous work."

"Are you suggesting that I couldn't do it?" I asked, shooting him a glare.

"No!" He said quickly, holding up both hands as if in surrender. "But do you _want _to do it?"

"Yes," I said, without hesitation. "If you'll let me in your group, then I want in."

"That's not my decision to make," he told me.

"I thought you were the leader?"

"Not really," Percy told me, shifting uncomfortably. "We're a democracy."

"Oh," I said, relaxing. "That's a good idea."

"It works well for us," he agreed, nodding. "If you really want in-"

"I do."

"-then we'd have to find the others and have a vote on whether to let you in or not. Can you fight?"

"What?"

"You have to at least be able to fight to get in," he explained. "So can you fight?"

"I'm pretty decent with my dagger," I told him, proud of the ability. He nodded.

"Then I guess I could take you back and see what the others think," he said finally.

"Great," I said, giving a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"You were pretty brave back there, when those thieves were questioning you," he told me. "You've got a good chance of getting in." I just smiled. Maybe I'd be able to save my village this way, and never have to beg at a royal's feet.

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	7. Chapter 7- Thalia and Percy's POV

**Hey, guys, it's PepCo and Qwerty, ready for a new chapter!**

**PepCo: I wrote this chapter with Thalia because I had the intention of bringing her side of the story to life- I hope that maybe this chapter clears some things up and also adds an air of mystery. **

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**Thalia**

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It's cold here in the woods at night, and the fog collects and swirls around our legs like boa constrictors, ready to choke the life out us.

"We better move out," Connor says nervously, fiddling with his fingers. His eyes look almost crazed, glancing around hurriedly anxiously. Travis, on the other hand, is wide awake, but still calm. It's almost endearing, in a way, but I'd never think of courting one of them. I like being independent, and love makes you dependent on a person. It's bad enough that I care about Percy.

Caring is dangerous. I'd learned this a long time ago. If you care about someone and you lose them, you get hurt. If they get captured or fall off a cliff, you get hurt.

I pray to whoever will listen that that godforsaken horse saved Percy's sorry life, because I cared about my cousin more than I cared to say. He was loyal and strong. I still wondered why he'd run away in the first place. The most loyal person in the universe, and he leaves?

I shake my head, trying to clear my muddled thoughts. Travis's blue eyes seem to glow like a wolf's in the moonlight, waiting for the leader of the pack to give orders. I suppose the leadership falls on my shoulders, now that Percy is gone. _Hopefully only temporarily, _my mind worries, but I block out the thought. I can't be weak, I can't.

"Thalia," Travis's voice rumbles. His voice turns gravelly when he's feeling emotional, and I suppose the brothers don't know that there's a fair chance that Percy is still alive. "Are we going to go ahead to Athenasia?"

I pause. What would Percy want us to do? We never mapped out a meeting point if we got separated, but maybe if I could just think for a second…

Percy usually got down to business. He'd probably fly (literally) under the radar for a few days, waiting for us to appear. He wasn't the brain of our operation- we'd all quietly decided that I would deal with the maps and charts, but even he might assume that I'd keep on going.

But the three of us- the Stolls and me- probably wouldn't do as well without Percy. We needed someone else, and I knew just the person.

I smirk, causing Travis's brows to deepen in confusion and sadness. "I'll be right back. Stay here."

Walking quietly with my bow in hand, I turn and tiptoe along the low tree branches gracing the ground, trying to keep my footsteps away from the telltale crackle of leaves. My eyes skim the treetops. _Find a pine, find a pine… There!_

Aiming my bow straight at the pine tree, I wait a few seconds for my hands to stop wavering… and release. _Phht. _The arrow flies through the air with precision, and the silver of the shaft glows once meeting the bark. I hear a hum in the air, and the bark around the arrowhead glows gold. The wind whistles louder, filling my ears, and I close my eyes.

When I reopen them, a tunnel of wind- like a miniature tornado- is circling the base of the tree. I wave my chiseled bow back and forth in front of the tree, and the wind eases.

In front of the trunk stands a wizard.

Not just any wizard. He's an old friend of mine and Percy's, one that was also a rebel of sorts. He has his own philosophy that he doesn't have to belong to anywhere, and so he belongs everywhere. Athenasia, Pacificantis, Aeroside (the land of my father), Mortuus, Magycan… Although, since he's a wizard, he obviously spends most of his time in Magycan. Ever since the war with Athenasia, the Magycanians have been humbled and are, to a point, fairly peaceful.

"Grover!" I shout, barreling towards him. I hit his stomach in what I take as a playful gesture, but he doubles over in pain.

"Nice… to…. see you… Thalia… ow…" I laugh, and he sends me a look. Once he regains his composure, he looks me over. "You're doing well, I see."

I simply shrug, my mouth tugging down a bit at the thought of Percy. "I need your help, Grover. I need you to do the map spell."

He groans. "Thalia, I haven't mastered that spell yet. You know that the wizards of Magycan aren't apt to teach satyrs magic, even if we did just get equal rights."

I frown. "You crafted this bow so I could find you. If that isn't at least a little of a map spell, I don't know what is." I raise the bow for emphasis.

"First off, this bow was also crafted by a centaur- one Percy knows well, I'm sure," he says, eyeing me, but I don't understand who he's talking about. Percy never mentioned a centaur to me, especially since they didn't usually talk with people. They were rogue elements that ran free and wild in the forest. I glance around me, as if I'd see one. "This centaur knew a bit of magic, too- he was an odd bird, that one. Anyway, he helped me craft this to keep you and Percy safe."

"Who is this centaur? I don't even know _one _centaur, and I'm definitely not close to one. How could a centaur want to keep me safe?"

Grover coughs, tugging at his robes. "Where is Percy?" he asks, changing the subject to a topic that drops my heart to my stomach.

"Where is this centaur?" I counter, but Grover merely groans and mumbles some choice words of the Magycan language under his breath.

"Back to your question," he says, a hand pressed to his temple, "I doubt I can conjure up a map spell. I'm guessing that Percy's gone and you're determined to find him."

My mouth falls open. "How did you…"

He smiles coyly. "Emotion-reading spell. Less work and longer lasting than the mind-reading spell. Plus, Satyrs are naturally born with emotion-reading abilities, but they either fade or aren't strong enough to get a real reading on someone."

I shake my head. "Well, you're right. Percy fell off a cliff, but I think he's still alive because of that flying courser." I tap a finger to my chin. "Could you help me find him?"

He bites his lip for only a moment before nodding. I smile and punch him happily on the shoulder this time, causing him to wince and groan indignantly.

He exhales raggedly. "I hope he's alright…"

* * *

**Percy**

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"I am _not _alright!" I say, grumbling to Annabeth, who folds her arms and shakes her head. She rides on Blackjack, who cowers by lowering his nose to the ground.

"It was your fault that you ate that rancid apple," she points out. "I wasn't the one who suggested eating that rotten thing."

"Ugh," I groan. "I have to lie down."

"It is night," she agrees. "Okay, fine. Look, there's a pine tree. Let's lay down there." We make our way towards the tree when I stop suddenly, remembering something very important.

"Yes, this could be it!" I mutter, forgetting my unforgiving stomach for a moment. "I've never tried it before, but maybe… maybe there's a chance…"

I run towards the tree, ignoring Annabeth's calls of "yes, sir, you certainly look as if you're doubled over in pain". I knock on the bark, listening, and it's hollow inside. _Yes!_ I celebrate inwardly, pulling my sword from its sheath.

Annabeth screams, "Have you lost your mind?!" but I continue my order of business. I pierce the wood with the bronze, and a loud humming noise fills the air. A stream running behind the tree suddenly flies up like a tsunami, washing over the branches that I stand under. A sideways waterfall circles around and around the tree, shimmering with gold light underneath, and I pull my sword from its place in the wood.

The water slinks back the stream, leaving no trace of being near the pine. I should be drenched, but there's not a drop of water left on my person.

Grover, however, looks angry and drenched.

"Sir G!" I yell, ramming into him as he lets out an _oof._ He deadpans, looking at me pointedly.

"Well, I'm so very glad I found you," he says, sarcasm in his tone. "I was just talking to Thalia, thank you very much, and I suppose she thought you wouldn't be smart enough to take the same actions of getting me here as she did. But she was proved wrong, and here you are. We're all so very happy. And _wet._"

"Sorry, Sir G." I turn behind me, towards Annabeth, and she simply stares blankly at the wizard beside me, her mouth agape.

"I- you- he- how?!" she stutters. She looks angry, like she wished she had known that was possible. Leave it to a know-it-all to wish that.

Grover wanders over to Blackjack, who nips his pointed ears affectionately and topples his pointed hat to the ground. "Ouch," Grover cringes, ever the sensitive person.

Annabeth stares down at Grover as he extends a hand. "It's very grand to meet you…?"

She regains her regular stance, sitting tall on Blackjack's back. "Annabeth," she says, taking his hand warily and shaking it awkwardly, as if she wasn't accustomed to meeting people. Maybe she wasn't. "It's… strange to meet you."

Grover simply laughs his satyr laugh, a combination of a goat bleating and a nervous man's chuckle.

"I'm so glad you're here, Sir G," I say, using the Grover's dubbed nickname. "You say you talked to Thalia, though? How is she?"

"Probably freaking out because I left her without a warning," he says, raising an eyebrow. "Great timing. I wish she was here so she could get her magic bow to air me out."

I smile sheepishly, cupping the back of my neck. "Sorry, Grover."

He shrugs, shaking his head as if to say _what more could I expect? _"She… she asked me about… the maker of her bow."

I look down at my sword. "His charm wore off," I say, holding out my blade for him to inspect. He runs his fingers along the bronze sword, the wrinkle in his brow deepening.

"Let me try…"

He murmurs Magycan words, probably an incantation of sorts, under his breath, touching the blade. Strangely, my sword vibrates in my hands, and Grover stops mumbling.

"It says that only you can bring the charm back."

"You _spoke_ to the sword?" I ask, incredulous. I notice Annabeth looking at me in thought, but when she sees me looking at her she looks away, instead fiddling with Blackjack's mane.

"It's Celestial Bronze, Percy," he says. "It was made with magic. And not only regular magic, but ancient magic that only… he knows."

I sigh in frustration. "But he's gone. He disappeared a long time ago. He must have known the charm upon it would wear off. I mean, he knew me during my childhood. He knew I was forgetful… It's only a following charm, Grover," I press. "You must have some way to invoke that spell."

He shakes his head. "A following spell isn't easy, no matter how easy it seems. Getting something to _shrink _and return to your pocket? It's not easy at all."

"Can't you find him, Grover?" I plead.

His eyes are sad as he regards me. "No, Percy. I think he passed on a while back."

"But centaurs have a long life span-"

"Not that long."

The finality, the sadness of his voice cause my stomach's aching to reappear, along with an emotional pang in my chest. "Alright." I pause, not wanting to continue on the subject if there was no hope to be found. Returning my sword to my sheath, I look back up at him.

"Can you tell Thalia to meet me in Athenasia in two days? In the spot we'd planned?"

He merely nods. "Goodbye, Perce, and good luck." He bows slightly to Annabeth, who inclines her head in return, and he simply whips his cape over his shoulder and vanishes.


	8. Chapter 8- Annabeth's POV

Hey, guys. Qwerty here- I just want to apologize for the length of this chapter- it's crazy short, I'm so sorry! It's just been a busy week, and I've had zero free time. Anyways, sorry again. Also, from now on updates will be every Saturday instead of every Wednesday. Enjoy the chapter! :)

Disclaimer: All rights to RR

Annabeth's POV

Saying I was confused would be an understatement. Ever since that Magycan Satyr- Grover- had showed up and babbled on to Percy about centaurs and charms, I'd realized just how _little _I knew about my traveling companion. Sure, we'd only known each other for a few days, but still. His history, from what I'd gathered, was a lot more complex than most people's.

Despite my curiosity, though, two days of traveling since we'd run into Grover had revealed no more to me about my… friend? I suppose Percy and I were friends. Acquaintances, at the very least. I mean, we'd meet when he shoved me off a cliff- not exactly the best start to a friendship. But, then again, he'd saved my life.

"Almost there," Percy told me, jolting me from my thoughts.

"Where exactly are we going again?" I asked.

"Athenasia," he told me easily. "We're meeting up with the rest of my friends there."

"I thought you said you'd never been to Athenasia," I accused, hoping to catch him in a lie- if I managed to do that, he'd have to tell me more- but no luck.

"I said I'd never been to the Queen's City," he corrected. "I've been to Athenasia more times than I could count."

"That's not saying much," I teased. "I doubt you can count very high."

"I can count," he said defensively. "I may not be a know-it-all, but I'm educated!" At his words, my mind sent off an imaginary red flag- something about that sentence wasn't right. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, though…

"Know-it-all?" I said indignantly. "Having an IQ higher than a clump of seaweed is _not _being a know-it-all."

"Seaweed?" Percy scoffed. "I'm smarter then _seaweed_."

"Mm, I don't think so," I sang, hiding my smirk.

"Am too!"

"What's the capitol of Aeroside?" I asked, knowing well the answer was Olympus. It wasn't a hard question- Olympus was the biggest capitol city in any kingdom and a regular meeting place for the royal families. Judging by the look on Percy's face, though, he didn't know the answer.

"Uh… Aerocapital?" He guessed.

"That's not even a real city!" I scoffed.

"That was an unfair question!" He complained. "Seaweed wouldn't know the answer to that!"

"And neither did you," I said smugly. "Proving my point perfectly- you really do have the IQ of a clump of seaweed."

"You're calling me a Seaweed brain?"

"You said it, not me," I quipped, grinning at him. He just stared at me for a moment in disbelief.

"I have never meet a person like you in my life, Annabeth Chase," he said eventually, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"Yes," I said. "Because hanging around bandits gives you a wide variety of people to compare me to."

He opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a new voice.

"Percy! You're alive!" The male voice called joyfully. A moment later a tall boy burst into view, grinning ear-to-ear at the sight of his friend. Just the sight of him made me check my bags to make sure nothing was missing- between the boy's slightly upturned eyebrows, wild brown hair, and mischievous grin, he practically screamed troublemaker. Or, more accurately, I suppose- bandit.

"Connor! You guys got away from the bandits," Percy grinned, giving Connor one of those awkward guy hugs.

"You didn't underestimate us, did you?" The boy asked, feigning hurt. "Ouch, Percy. That hur- hey, who's this?" He broke off, noticing me for the first time.

"I'm Annabeth," I said, shaking his hand uncomfortably. First Grover, now Connor- in the last three days, I'd meet more new people than I'd meet almost my whole life, excluding my family.

"Nice to meet you," he said, studying me. "You look familiar… oh, I know! You're that girl the bandits attacked!"

"Yes," I said, a little stiffly. How was I supposed to treat this new person? Not for the first time, I cursed my parents for keeping me so shut in. My lack of social grace was painfully obvious, and I knew it.

"She wants to join," Percy told Connor. Connor raised both eyebrows, but all he said was, "It's been a while since we had a new recruit. Well, let's get her back to the hideout."

All I could think was _I hope I'm making the right decision. _

-Line Break-

Percy had explained to me that his group had various hideouts in different kingdoms, although the one we were in now was one of their main ones. It was only half a day's journey to my family's village, and I couldn't help but think how strange it all was. Four days ago, I'd set out to find help. And when I had found it, it had turned out to be only ten or eleven miles away.

The hideout in itself was impressive- at first glance, you'd almost look right over it. The entrance was a wooden trap door in the ground, so carefully covered with moss and vines it was practically invisible. One you opened it and climbed inside, though… well, that was a different story.

The hideout was a web of rooms stretching out underground. (Best I could tell, the rooms had used to be underground caves.) Dead trees above us had been hollowed out to let sunlight in, and the hideout was well furnished. I didn't ask where they'd gotten all the furniture- they were bandits, after all. Chances where I didn't _want _to know.

Now, seated in a circle in the 'meeting room', as it was called, the group was deciding if I was worthy enough to join. Currently, the group consisted of Connor, Travis, Thalia (who I'd liked almost immediately), and Percy. All had informed me that there were more in their group, but that they were spread out over different hideouts across the twelve kingdoms.

"So, we all know what's going on," Percy began, kicking off the meeting. "Annabeth wants to join the group. Like always, we'll vote and majority wins."

"Percy," Thalia broke in. "Pros and Cons first."

"Right, right," Percy muttered. "Ok, reasons to _not _let her in?"

"We don't know how well she can fight," Travis pointed out.

"We don't know much about her history," Thalia added. I wanted to object, but remained silent. I'd practically begged to be a part of this meeting, and they had agreed as long as I didn't say a word. Now, listening to them talk about me in the third person, I almost whished I hadn't attended. Almost.

"Any other cons?" Percy prompted. The others were silent. "Ok, Pros?" He continued.

"She's brave, we saw that with the bandits."

"She has a reason to want to join, so we may be able to trust her."

"She's smart," Percy threw in grudgingly, shooting me a look that said _don't you dare hold that against me! _

"So we vote," Thalia decided. "I'm a yes."

"Yes," Connor and Travis coursed in unison. All eyes were on Percy, who turned to me, smiling.

"Welcome to our group."

-Line Break-

Later that night, I woke up from my dream, panting. I only remembered bits and pieces- running through long stone corridors in a fancy dress, talking to guards… the usual odd dream. But a new part had been in there- in my dream, I'd relived my earlier conversation with Percy.

_"I may not be a know-it-all, but I'm educated!" _

I knew what had seemed off about that sentence now. Regular peasants weren't educated, as Percy claimed he had been. Only nobles and royals were educated.

_Percy, _I thought. _What aren't you telling me? _

Review, por favor! –PepCo and Qwerty 


	9. Chapter 9- Percy's POV

**Hey guys, It's Pep! This chapter isn't action packed, but it gives you a little past on Percy's part. Keeping it mysterious :) **

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**Percy's POV**

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It's quiet in the corridor. Only the small whisper of quiet breathing sounds in the air- my own nervous huffs. I walk towards a doorway, soundlessly moving my hand towards the handle. There is the sound of music, muffled, resonating from the other side. I must have misjudged the time- the ball has already started.

When I enter the room, the music stops abruptly, everyone turning towards me to see what the interruption was. Most of those dancing on the floor either looks relieved to not be touching their partners any longer or annoyed that their conversations were cut short. Some give me glares, including my own father, who sits on his throne, his arms stretched out on either side because he thinks it makes him look powerful.

I walk towards my father, my boots thudding the marble, loud in the silence. I'm suddenly glad that I changed into a blue tunic instead of staying in my all-black clothes. My father already suspects that I deal in the affairs of a thief.

Two guards on either side of his throne narrow their eyes at me as I approach, tridents in hand. They're supposed to be daunting, but I'm over being afraid now. I won't be subjected to his treachery any longer.

My voice is soft and firm, but I can't keep it from quavering slightly. I lean close to his ear, but he doesn't move his head. He doesn't even look at me as I speak. All of the guests lower their masks from their faces, curious to know what the young prince may be saying, wanting something new to gossip about.

_I can't marry her, _I say. _I don't love her. _I say this knowing that he will most probably lash out at me, maybe even make his guards impale me with their tridents. But he simply puts an arm around me, his smile radiant and fake; his eyes alight with a silent warning. I know he is unimpressed. He didn't want to marry Amphitrite, but he had to. He loved a maiden, a simple maiden, but he couldn't marry her. _I couldn't risk the kingdom's reputation, _he'd said sadly. He expects me to be like him.

But what the kingdom doesn't know is that I am not Amphitrite's son. Amphitrite's son was stillborn, and she couldn't have any more children.

Pacificantis, the kingdom without a son? King Poseidon couldn't have this. It would be a disgrace. So he did what any unfaithful king would do- find a way to have a son with royal blood.

What the kingdom doesn't know is that I'm what's called a "half-blood". I have the blood of a simple commoner running through my veins, running with the blood of royals. This is the reason my "mother" hates me. This is the reason I can't find myself to marry the princess from Athenasia.

I am not a full-blooded prince.

_My son, _the king, my father, proclaims to the crowd. He laughs heartily, but the sound rings untrue, loud in my ears. _He has asked to dance with the princess, his betrothed. _He turns to me. _Did you think that we wouldn't allow this to be? _He ignores my shocked expression, pushing me forward so that I almost fall on my knees. Regaining my footing at the last moment, I glance upward, meeting the gaze of the princess, my face hot with anger and embarrassment. But it's not who I expected.

It's Annabeth. She smiles, which is so unlike her. I almost expected her to slap me across the face. She holds out a hand- dainty and smooth, which is also not her, since her hands are calloused from handling rough things- for me to grasp. I do. The essence of her is so intoxicating it almost blinds me, and I don't understand why. I've never felt this way around her before.

The music starts up again, the crowd laughing now that they had nothing to worry about. Annabeth lets me take the lead of the dance, which, again, is strange, since she's so independent. What is going on here?

The gray hem of her dress brushes my feet as she gracefully twirls under my raised hand. She's smiling broader, laughing even, and I'm so confused I simply stare.

Her laughter reminds me, suddenly, of my father's. It's false. It's an act. It clicks in an instant, but I just look at her, dumbfounded. She pulls herself even closer to my shoulder, leaning her head there, and whispers, _I can't wait to be married to you. _

My heart hammers in my chest, pounding away with every step of the waltz. Do I really know who she is? She's Annabeth. She's a commoner. She's not a princess. How could this be?

My heart is in my throat now and I fear I may pass out. _I'm becoming my father, _I say to myself, hoping the words were drowned out by the people's chatter and the loud music, but Annabeth's perfect features clench in confusion. She's heard me.

_What? _she says, her words barely heard from the rhythm of the music. _I don't understand, Prince Perseus. What do you mean? _

I shake my head. I have to get out of here. Suddenly I feel myself falling, and I let go of her soft hands. I look down at my own, and they're shaking.

I burrow through the crowd, not looking back, hardly hearing their indignant shouts. I hear the king yelling after me, calling my name, but I keep going. I feel drained, dehydrated, as if all the power I had, all the determination, was gone.

I run to the garden. Large leaves whack my arms as I pass. There's a fountain in the middle of the garden, but as I run towards it, I find myself suddenly blocked. A centaur stands in my path.

_Chiron, _I say. _Why are you here? _

_I'm here, young prince, because I come when I am called. _

I state the obvious. _But I didn't call you. _

_I come when I am called, _he repeats, _regardless of the person who does the calling. _

_I have to get by, _I say, desperate. I don't know why I need the water so badly. This feeling of necessity has never happened to me before.

It's as if he's read my very thoughts. _You need the water, do you? And you don't know why. Well, young prince, I will tell you why._

_Long ago, a curse was placed by one of Magycan on your ancestors. This curse was that "the one who bears the blood of two will be a different thing anew." This was meaningless and forgotten. But I remember it clearly, _he says. I forget sometimes that he is very old, thousands of years old.

He continues. _You are the "different thing" the curse spoke of. You hold two different types of blood in your veins- common and royal. Only the best kind of king has these types, since he is able to connect with royals and the commoners both. Only with you will there be peace and equality. _

I don't understand. _But I will not be the king, _I state truthfully. It's hardest to lie to the centaurs. _I plan to run away from this kingdom._

He looks back at me, indifferent, as if he had known this. _Remember then, young prince, _he says, _that you will come back one day. And remember also that things are not always as they seem. Do not lose hope. _

And then I wake up.

The dream leaves me in such a daze that I don't realize my hand is stretched out towards Annabeth's mat. She's still sleeping, muttering incoherent nothings, and once I regain bearing on reality, I retract my hand.

I think about my dream again, analyzing its meaning. One thing I do know is that the dream was real. It did happen. But Annabeth wasn't there when it happened, and the ball wasn't held for the Princess of Athenasia and my betrothal. It was for the Princess of Magycan, and she looked nothing like Annabeth.

The princess of Magycan's hands _had _been soft and dainty, and her features _had _been perfect, and her very essence _had _been intoxicating, probably because of her magic. Her hair had been red and fiery, and she'd worn the deep purple-red of Magycan's flag.

So why had my mind replaced her with Annabeth, of all people? Why had she been the princess of Athenasia? Which, might I add, is impossible, since every kingdom and their horse have been aware of the "lost princess of Athenasia" for years?

A spark ignites in my brain with the thought all of the sudden, and I'm overwhelmed with the prospect, but Annabeth abruptly wakes up, panting, lost in her own thoughts for moments at a time. She, dazed, turns towards me, looking at me as if she was trying to figure out who I was.

It was odd, very, very odd that I'd had this dream, and it was too perfect, to detailed, to be formulated from my own thoughts. Someone else's handiwork. Someone who knows only the most complicated magic.

_Things are not always as they seem._

"Chiron's alive," I say.

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**We love, love, looooove reviews. Just say how you're doing, as we both like to know what's up with our readers! Also, did anyone catch the "half-blood prince" thangy? (I honestly didn't notice until I read back over it.) Much love! –Pep & Qwerty**


	10. Chapter 10- Annabeth's POV

**Hey, everybody! Enjoy this next chapter! :) Disclaimer: RR owns all, unfortunately. **

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Annabeth's POV

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Going back to sleep after my realization about Percy was difficult, but eventually sleep claimed me. As always, dreams plagued me. This time, though, my dream was different.

* * *

It started the same. I was running through a long stone corridor, laughing as a tall boy, about six in age, chased me.

"You're it!" He hollered gleefully, managing to brush my shoulder with his fingertips. In my dream I frowned, turning to the boy.

Even though I'd dreamed this dream as long as I could remember, looking at the boy still made me freeze. He looked… well, like me (minus being a little boy, of course.) Wide gray eyes stared back at me, and his tussled blonde hair stuck out in a typical six-year-old fashion. Somehow, in my dream I knew his name.

"But Malcoum," I pouted, unable to pronounce Malcolm properly in my dream-toddler state.

"I tagged you, you're it," he grinned. "That's the rules." A tall armor clad guard standing a few feet away grinned down at us, chuckling quietly to himself.

"Tag me again, then," I ordered him, spinning around and running off again.

Then things began to change. I'd had this dream dozens of times before- normally, my dream-self ran into a huge throne room, laughing. I'd grin up at a regal-looking blonde woman, and then I always woke up.

Not this time, though. For the first time in almost 13 years, my dream changed. The hall I sprinted through faded to darkness, and I was falling. An unexplainable feeling of fear rose up in me, and I screamed.

"Annabeth!" Called a voice that sounded similar to the little boy- Malcolm's- voice, only older, deeper. "Come home! Stop running!"

"No!" I gasped, my hands flying up to cover my ears. "No, I won't! You aren't my family; I'm not one of you! Never!"

"Annabeth!" Cried the voice, but even that faded into the darkness. I was alone, falling, terrified. Always alone- my own birth parents had sold me to slave traders, after all.

A choked sob escaped me and I screamed again, from the fear, the feelings of abandonment that I kept bottled up deep inside me, where no one could ever find out how much it hurt.

Then, suddenly I slammed into something solid. Stone. I was on a stone floor, miraculously unhurt. The room had no door, only a lone looking glass hung on the wall. I stumbled to my feet, walking slowly over to the looking glass. A tall girl in worn down peasant clothes stared back at me, gray eyes wide and curly hair thrown into a quick ponytail.

"Fascinating invention, this looking glass," Commented a voice from behind me, making me jump. I spun around to see a kind looking man with thinning hair and a slat-and-pepper colored beard.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice sounding strange even to my own ears.

"You used to know me as Captain Brunner," the man said, a small smile flashing across his face. "Although I have many names."

"Where am I?" I asked, confused, but no longer afraid.

"Look back at the looking glass," Captain Brunner ordered, ignoring my question. I obeyed, turning back to the lone object. The same forlorn image stared back at me.

"No, child. You must really _look_," he pressed. I frowned.

"I am looking!" I insisted.

"Annabeth, _look. _Focus," the captain ordered, and I gave a sigh of frustration. Staring at the looking glass intently 'till my eyes watered, I looked. To my surprise, my reflection began to change.

My long, curly blonde hair fell loosely around my shoulders, styled in delicate ringlets. Dark makeup framed my silvery eyes, making them pop. A flowing dress made of what looked like expensive emerald silk accented my curves and contrasted with my fair skin. Resting against my forehead, a silver tiara reflected the light elegantly. I looked… beautiful.

"This isn't me," I said softly, looking at the image in the glass almost sadly. This girl probably had no worries. She probably had the money to keep her family from starvation.

"Keep looking," Captain Brunner said gently, ignoring my comment. As I watched, the girl in the glass moved. She was smiling, waving to someone. A moment later, another figure joined her. I glanced behind me, but the room was empty except for the Captain and me. I turned back to the mirror where the two figures now stood.

The new figure was a tall man with cool blue eyes and blonde hair. Despite the scar that marred his face, he was definitely handsome. He grinned at the girl, and she smiled back, her cheeks flushing a faint pink as he slipped his hand into hers.

Suddenly, from the girl's other side, another man stepped into view. With a gasp, I recognized Percy. He wasn't dressed the same- he was now wearing a royal cape and regal gold crown- but there was no mistaking my friend.

The girl in the mirror looked equally confused to see him. She frowned, her mouth moved as she said something that I couldn't hear. She was angry- he wasn't supposed to be here. Percy just looked at her, an expression on his face I'd never seen before. His eyes were gentle as he looked at the blonde girl, and he began talking, interrupting her.

As before, I couldn't hear what he was saying. But whatever it was, it made the girl freeze, wide-eyed with shock. He was begging her to understand something, begging her to stay. On her other side, the blonde man piped up, looking angry.

Percy slipped his hand into my reflection's free hand, and the girl looked torn. On one side, the blonde man held her hand possessively. On her other side, Percy held her hand, wanting her to come with him.

"I believe that's enough," Captain Brunner said, and the image disappeared. My regular reflection stared back at me.

"Who-what-" I began, and Captain Brunner held up a hand to interrupt me.

"Either way, life will never be easy for you," he told me gently. "No matter what you choose. Old family or new family. Old love or new love. But when the time comes for you to make your decision, remember that other people will be effected by your choice."

"What choice?" I asked, baffled. "New family? Love? What in the twelve kingdoms are you talking about?" The Captain looked at me sadly, like he was disappointed I didn't understand.

"Goodbye, Annabeth Chase," he told me, turning away.

"Wait, what? No! What did you mean?" Too late- the Captain had disappeared.

"Chiron's alive!" Echoed a voice. I blinked in confusion. What?

* * *

I sat bolt upright, panting, my dream still fresh in my mind. Across from me, Percy looked at me, pure joy on his face.

"Chiron's alive!" He said again.

"What?" I asked, my sleep numbed mind still a bit slow. "What are you talking about?" Despite my confusion, I couldn't help but feel a bit giddy. And _no_, it had nothing to do with Percy's adorable grin. "Where are we going?" I asked, watching him pull on his boots.

"Actually," he said, "We're going on kind of a hunt."

"A hunt? What are we looking for?"

"Not what," Percy corrected. "Who."

"Who are we looking for?"

"Chiron," Percy told me, making me more confused.

"Who's Chiron?" I asked.

"Long story," Percy said evasively.

"Well, at least tell me what he looks like so I'll recognize him," I said, becoming a bit irritated.

"Hm," Percy hummed, thinking about how best to answer me. "Lets see. Last I saw him, he had this gray and black beard, and brown eyes that crinkled when he smiled. His hair was kind of thinning in the front…" Percy's voice trailed off as he saw the look on my face.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing," I said hesitantly. "It's just… that sounds exactly like Captain Brunner."

**Review please! :) –PepCo and Qwerty**


	11. Chapter 11- Percy's POV

**Percy's POV**

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It had only taken a moment for Annabeth's face to light up, alert, like a million lanterns let go into the sky. It sparked something in my heart, and I didn't know why. But the sheer want to find Chiron compressed inside my chest that I thought I may explode if I didn't move at once. I grabbed Annabeth's hand in a quick moment and drug her along with me outside, not bothering to put on a shirt. I looked behind me, eyeing her as we rushed on, and I realized she didn't look… perfect. It was as if she'd dropped her façade because she didn't have enough time to take in what was happening. I smiled at her.

We went through the maze of underground pathways. The world was a tunnel and we were burrowing towards the light, together.

When we burst into Thalia's corridor, she woke with a jolt. She was obviously a light sleeper, by the look of it, and in two seconds flat she had me up against the wall with her knife to my throat. I could tell Annabeth seemed to keep her distance from Thalia. She wasn't scared, was she?

"Percy," she grumbled, dropping her knife at her side and rubbing the side of her face in exhaustion, "why are you breaking into my room at this hour of night?"

"Sorry," I quipped, admittedly not sounding sorry at all. I rushed on. "I think Chiron's alive." My mouth turned up into a bright smile of its own accord, and I swear I saw Annabeth smile at the sight of my grin.

Thalia's eyes widened. She'd known Chiron herself- been taught by him, even. "What? How did you come to find this out?" She didn't look tired anymore, all of the sleep drained out of her with my sudden proclamation.

"It was a dream," I said. Her face fell into an expression of disbelief, and I shook my head emphatically. "I'm serious. I know it's him. I know he's alive. I don't have any time to explain. We have to get Grover's advice!" I didn't wait for Thalia to respond, leaving her with her mouth open, her retort still in her throat. I grabbed for Annabeth's arm again, smiling at her in utter exhilaration as he pulled her toward the outside.

"If Thalia wants to argue, the Stolls probably would, too," I explained, having skipped telling Travis and Connor about my new discovery. I went to the nearest pine tree, which was but a few steps away, and went for my sword. However, he suddenly realized that it must have been back in his room, along with my forgotten tunic. Annabeth suddenly seemed very uncomfortable, blushing in the moonlight and turning away for some reason.

I cursed under my breath, heading back to the tunnels, but I was stopped short by someone I'd hoped never to see again. The bandits stood in front of the trap door, having just come up from the underground, and I felt my heart fall into my stomach.

One pulled a sword from behind him, holding it casually with two hands, as if he was about to make a trade with me. "Looking for this, possibly?" he said, his golden teeth glimmering in the harsh moonlight. The elfin-made sword glowed gold in the dark, showing the dirt on the bandit's hands even more clearly.

I growled, my happiness fading fast. My hold on Annabeth's wrist was becoming even harder now, but I hardly noticed I was cutting off her circulation. I was too filled with irritation and rage.

How would we get out of this one? I saw Annabeth shoot me a desperate look out of the corner of my eye, but why? Did she have a plan?

My thoughts wandered to Thalia and the Stolls. Where were they? Had they been able to hide soon enough so that the bandits hadn't seen them? My mind was so cluttered with thoughts that I hardly caught sight of the man who stepped out of the shadows.

He was tall and lean, and his hair practically glowed in the moonlight, almost in the same way that my sword did. I could hardly see his face because of the darkness surrounding us, but the imprint of a scar was easily seen by the light of the moon that cast on his face.

He held out a casual hand to the bandits, who looked to him in respect and worry, except for the bandit leader. Annoyance flared in his features, and I wondered if they'd been at odds.

"Hold on, soldiers," he said, his voice full of sarcasm. "Why are you harassing these poor, _innocent _bystanders?"

There was something about this guy that bothered me, but I wasn't sure what. I looked to Annabeth, who always had the answers, but she was simply gaping at the guy who stood before us all. She looked as white as a sheet. Did she know him or something? That thought bothered me even more for some reason, and something- whether it was rage or something else- burned in my chest.

His smile suddenly faded once he looked at us, me holding Annabeth's hand. He stepped towards Annabeth, holding her chin with his thumb and forefinger. "Well, this is a pretty one," he said looking over her features. She pulled her chin away, but he held on tighter. I let go of her arm, instead holding it in front of her body.

"Don't touch her," I growled.

He laughed then, a demeaning, cruel laugh. "Like a commoner like you could tell _me_ what to do. Unless you've never heard of me, eh?"

I actually had no clue who this guy was, but Annabeth, eyes narrowed and back straight, looked as if she did. I looked to her for the answer, like I always did.

"Lord Hermes' son," she whispered quietly.

The man stepped back from Annabeth as if she'd hit him in the gut, and a sneer formed on his face. "Don't ever call me that," he gasped. "My name is Luke."

"Duke Luke," I heard the bandit leader snort behind him. Luke turned his glare on the leader, and he abruptly stopped laughing.

I wanted to send back a retort that I was the prince of Pacificantis, saying that I actually was above him, but that may ruin what I had going with Annabeth. She hated royals- so did I- but even if she had suspicions about me not being who I said I was, that's all they were. Suspicions. Not proof. And that's how I wanted it to stay.

He turned back to Annabeth. "How did you know this?" he asked her, his eyes intensely staring at her in question. I was surprised at how well she held his gaze.

"Leader of the guards," she said, pacing around him, not phased by the scythe hanging on his belt or the bandits' swords in the least. "The leader of the guards in Athenasia. You know him, don't you?"

Something flashed in Luke's eyes for a second- fear?- but he recovered and sent her a coy grin. "Why, of course."

She smiled right back at him, but it was the smile of secrets, the type of smile that carries a threat behind it. "He caught you stealing, didn't he? Because it was you this whole time, wasn't it? It was _you _who stole the gold from Athenasia's vaults, _you _who took the village's money."

Everyone fell silent. How did she know that? How had she figured this out? She hadn't even been on a looting trip with Thalia and the Stolls yet, so how had she known?

Luke let out another laugh, but it rang with falsity. "How are you to tell me this? A simple commoner."

Annabeth closed her eyes, and I wasn't expecting what happened next. When she opened them again, they glowed as bright as the full moon silhouetting us, gray and ethereal and scintillating.

"I can… I can hear him." She turned abruptly towards me, her sharp gaze cutting through me. "Percy, it hurts, it hurts…" She collapsed to the ground suddenly.

"Who can you hear?" This worried me- Annabeth was hearing voices? My heart pounded in my ears, and I forgot for a moment that we were standing before a troupe of bandits and a potential enemy.

"Chiron…" she choked out. "He's… speaking in my mind, Percy…"

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**Whoa, what's going on?! Find out in the next chapter ;) Much love! -PepCo & Qwerty**


	12. Chapter 12- Annabeth's POV

**Hi, guys! :) We're back- enjoy the chapter! **

**Disclaimer: PJO belongs to the master troll, not us... :( **

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Annabeth's POV

* * *

At first, when I'd confronted Luke, the voice had only been a whisper, telling me what was going on.

That was before the pain exploded in my head, making lights flash behind my eyes and causing me to cry out in agony.

_W-who are you? _I managed to think through the pounding in my head.

_Chiron, _said the voice, and pain once again exploded in my head, this time so bad I fell to my knees.

"I can… I can hear him," I choked out, pressing my hands to my temple and squeezing my eyes shut. "Percy, it hurts, it hurts…"

"Who can you hear?" Asked Percy, but he sounded distant, the pain making it hard for me to hear him.

"Chiron…" I moaned, doubling over so my forehead almost touched the leaf-covered forest floor. "He's speaking in my mind, Percy…"

_Child, I know it hurts, but you must focus, _Chiron urged. Each word caused a shock of pain to ripple through me, and I swayed slightly where I sat.

Percy was saying something, but I couldn't hear him. Why did this hurt so much? He was yelling now, desperate, but I just shook my head, uncomprehending. It hurt so bad… why wouldn't he stop yelling?

Across from me, the blonde Duke took a step toward me, ready to take advantage of the turn of events. The other bandits held back, less eager to approach me, the strange girl hearing voices.

Percy jumped between me and Luke, snarling something I didn't catch at the Noble.

_Listen, Annabeth, I don't have much time, _Chiron urged. _I need to speak through you, but you're resisting me. Please, child. _

"Do what you have too," I gasped, "And then _get out of my head." _

_Thank you, Annabeth. _The pain receded from my head and spread through my body, a terrible ach that caused me to moan in pain and sway dangerously to the side. Using one shaking hand, I held myself up, beads of sweat dripping off my forehead.

"Percy," I said, but the voice wasn't mine. "It's me, Chiron." I didn't see Percy's reaction- my vision was slowly going black. Was it supposed to do that?

"Listen carefully. I'm currently in Magycan, helping the Princess Rachel harness her gifts as a seer and oracle. You know her, you now where she can be found. Therefore, you can easily find me." I stared up at Percy in confusion through the pain and darkness that clouded my vision. Why had he gone so pale?

"M-Magycan?" He stuttered. "But… Rachel, she'll recognize me!"

"Yes," Chiron agreed. "And she can help you. I must go, Percy, Annabeth cannot sustain me much longer. Hurry- I have pressing news that you _must _hear as quickly as possible. And don't trust titles, Percy. You are not the only a royal a long way from home." With that, the pain became overbearing, and I collapsed, my eyes slipping shut as I slid into a blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

"Annabeth," asked a worried-sounding voice, cutting through the darkness that clouded my thoughts and clung to my mind. "Annabeth, please. Wake up!" Begged the voice, sounding panicked. The voice sounded familiar- where had I heard that voice before?

"Oh, gods, this is bad," the voice moaned. "Very, very bad." Then it hit me- it was Percy. Memories followed the name like waves- we were going after Chiron, when the bandits had surrounded us. Oh no- what had happened?

I forced my eyes open, the sudden light making me squint.

"Percy?" I croaked. "Where are we?"

"Annabeth!" He cried, spinning around. "Thank gods you're awake!"

"Where are we?" I repeated, struggling to sit up.

"Whoa, easy," Percy said quickly, helping me up. "You're still kind of weak, Wise girl. Be careful."

"Where are we?" I repeated for the third time, examining the cramped area we were in. From the feeling of wheels bumping over uneven ruts, it seemed like some sort of closed-in cart.

"The bandits captured us," Percy said, his eyes darkening with anger. "Where they got this thing, I'll never know."

"The bandits," I echoed, closing my eyes. "Of course. Do you know where they're taking us?"

"I assume the outskirts of Aeroside, to sell us as slaves," Percy admitted.

"What?" I gasped. "We have to get out of here!"

"I know," the man replied, studying the old wood that held the cart together critically. "This old thing is pretty poorly made. If I only had a blade…" An idea hit me like lightning. Pulling my dagger out from my boot, I held it out to him.

"Would this work?" I asked. Percy's eyes lit up when he saw the weapon.

"Annabeth, you're a genius!" He grinned, taking the dagger from me and moving over toward the padlocked door. Slipping the narrow, needle-like tip of the blade into the lock, he began fiddling with it, trying to pick the lock.

"Almost got it…" he muttered, just as the cart stopped abruptly and the dull thud of footsteps could be heard. Quickly slipping my dagger up the sleeve of his tunic, he hid it from view just as the door was yanked open by an all-too familiar duke.

"Oh, look," he said almost conversationally to me. "You're up." I remained silent, glaring at him. There was no doubt he was the man from my dream, which confused me. My reflection had almost seemed like she had some sort of affair with him, but I'd never court a man like him… would I?

"That boy," he continued, gesturing to Percy, "Called you Annabeth. Is that really your name?"

"Yes," I said icily, glaring at Luke. "Why should you care?" With a low whistle, Luke studied me, but something about his demeanor seemed different this time.

"My gods," he muttered, more to himself than to me, "Have I really found you? After all these years… and you show up with his sort," he murmured, glancing over at Percy.

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about-" I snapped, but Luke seemed not to hear me.

"I found you. I found you!" He repeated, a grin spreading over his face. A genuine smile this time, which made me stop, beyond confused.

"Found me?" I echoed. "What are you talking about?"

"Allow me to re-introduce myself," the duke said. "My name is Luke. We were close friends before… before you were kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" I echoed. "Wait- the slave traders _kidnapped _me? My parents didn't sell me? So… they did want me!" The realization seemed to remove a heavy weight from my heart, making me feel like I could fly. I hadn't been an unwanted baby- my parents _had_ cared for me!

"Slave traders?" Luke echoed, cocking an eyebrow, but I ignored him.

"And if you knew me… you know my birth family!" I cried, turning to him. "Where are they? Are they nice? Do I have any siblings-"

"Whoa!" Luke said, holding up one hand. "Slow down. First things first- lets get you out of here." Pulling out his scythe in one smooth motion, he cut the rope tying my ankles together in one smooth motion. Up until now, I hadn't even realized that the rope had been there.

With my restraints gone, Luke moved slightly to the side so I could get out. Freedom… but I held back.

"What about Percy?" I demanded.

"The boy?" Luke asked, frowning slightly. "What about him?" I looked back to Percy, who was sitting there, stunned.

"You _know _this guy?" Percy asked, looking betrayed.

"Not exactly," I said, unsure how to explain. How could I tell him how important it was to me to find out who I was, where I came from? And Luke knew my family, this was my chance…

"Know me?" Luke scoffed, turning to address Percy for the first time. "Why do you… oh. _Oh_," a cold smile spread across his face. I blinked in confusion, looking between Percy and Luke. What was going on?

"You are hopelessly out of your league," Luke taunted. "Besides, has she never told you? _She's betrothed._"

I froze in shock- I was? Percy, on the other hand, looked like he'd been punched in the gut.

"You are?" He asked, sounding a million miles away.

"She is," Luke smirked. "And the best part? Guess who she's engaged to." He leaned closer to Percy, his voice dropping as he whispered something to my friend.

Percy face paled, and he looked at me, betrayal etched in his face.

"Percy, I swear, I have no idea what he's talking about-"

"I didn't know you were into guys like him," Percy cut me off, no longer meeting my gaze. "I'm happy for you," he said, sounding about as unhappy as possible. I shook my head, baffled. Who was I betrothed to? And why was Percy acting like this?

And _why_, gods help me, did I feel so disappointed to learn I was betrothed? It wasn't uncommon for arranged marriages to be set up for a young woman- so where was this cold feeling of panic coming from?

"Percy-" I began, only to be cut off again, this time by Luke.

"Come on, Annabeth," he smirked, his scar a pale white in the sinking sunlight. "He clearly doesn't care."

"I'm not going anywhere without him," I snapped.

"Don't, Annabeth," Percy broke in, his eyes dark with some emotion I couldn't place. "Just go with him. I'll be fine."

"You're sending me away?" I asked in disbelief.

"No point in us both being in this mess, right?" He reasoned weakly.

"But…" I trailed off. What was there to say? "Fine." I said, wishing I could tell him what I was thinking without Luke hearing.

_Fine. Don't worry, Percy, I've got a plan. Just hang in there, I'll be back. _

_ And then, I promise, I'll explain everything.  
_

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**Review please? -PepCo and Qwerty**


	13. Chapter 13- Percy's POV

**Chapter 13- Percy's POV**

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I didn't know what was wrong with me. When Luke had walked off, his arm around Annabeth's back, it was like there was a wall between us. As if she'd been closed off forever from me, detached from who we were becoming.

Because… didn't she feel the same way as I did?

Poseidon's trident, I didn't know how much I was falling for her until now, seeing her walk away from me. And she'd just left me so easily.

Alone in the cart, I pondered what to do next. I didn't care anymore about escaping, not really. Thalia and the Stolls were in another cart going who knows where, and I didn't know what to do without Annabeth's help.

My thoughts went back to Luke's conversation, his whisper still echoing in my ear. _Me. Guess who she's betrothed to?_

_Me. _

But that couldn't be right. Annabeth, a royal? She hated royals. She was doing all she could to spite _her own mother? _I'd run away from my father's kingdom, but it wasn't as if I was stealing from him. When I walked away from him on my last day as prince, he vowed I would be a commoner. I'd be thrown in his dungeon if I came back to him.

Unless I agreed to take my place as prince.

And, right now, it seemed the right decision, because suddenly everything was falling into place. Annabeth finding me. Her dream and my dream about Chiron. The swords, the pine trees, the adoption, the kidnapping, they all intertwined together in a huge web of decisions and happenstances. It was so clever it could only be the work of one person.

I didn't have Riptide, but I had another escape. Annabeth's dagger was still stuck up my sleeve.

Suddenly, when I touched the golden blade, I heard a voice in my head that was not my own- someone else's memory, someone else's voice. _This isn't another one of your tricks, is it, Athena?_ And a woman's voice, not speaking, but thinking: _I've got more tricks up my sleeve, just you wait. _

A powerful pain exploded in my head, and I doubled over in the dirty floor of the cart. Gray eyes, the same as Annabeth's, flashed through my mind.

_Don't trust the one called Luke, _a voice whispered, powerful and echoing in my mind. _He carries the ancestry of liars and thieves. _

Just as fast as it had gripped me, whatever had pained me let go.

And as fast as lightening, all the happenings that had ensued in the whole time I'd known Annabeth- everything that had led up to us meeting- fell into place. It all made sense, total sense, but I found I couldn't focus on that now.

Annabeth was in danger.

With that thought on my mind, I took her dagger and cut through the cart's wooded exterior, moving to escape. I drop-rolled off of the moving cart but was numb to the pain. I had to find a pine tree, had to find Grover, had to find Chiron, had to make sure I knew that everything was falling into place like it should.

But could I use her dagger? It wasn't mine, and I'd never used anyone else's weapon to summon someone. What could go wrong? I didn't know, but I had to try. I was desperate, and it wasn't as if I had any other options at this point.

Gripping the blade handle tightly, I pushed forward to the tree trunk. I emitted a war scream- I wasn't sure why- and plunged it into the bark.

But instead of summoning Grover like it should have, something went terribly, awfully wrong. Where I'd just stabbed the tree, blackness started spreading outward, like dripped wine blooming on fabric. I looked down at Annabeth's golden dagger- it was becoming black, too. And it was spreading fast.

I was too shocked to drop the dagger in time, and the blackness overtook my fingertips. I cried out, and the dagger flew from my grip. I was afraid I'd caused something awfully wrong to happen, so wrong that the darkness would spread to the grass and overtake the earth- but instead the dagger disappeared.

The dagger. It'd been poisoned.

The only way, Chiron had told me long ago, that someone could poison a blade, was to curse it. Going back on a promise was the strongest curse. Was it I who had cursed the blade by not chasing Annabeth down, telling her that it wasn't right for her to go with Luke?

The darkness that had stained my fingertips didn't spread as fast as it had over the tree and the dagger, but I still saw it growing outward, almost to my knuckles. I had to act, fast, before it spread to every part of my body. _That's the surest way to hurt your enemy, Percy, _I heard Chiron's words echo in my mind. _Once it overtakes them, they're transported to the darkest part of the underworld, the place of no return. Getting tainted by a cursed weapon is the worst revenge. _

Had Luke planned this?

No. I couldn't focus on figuring things out now- I had to find Annabeth and save her. The tree obviously couldn't help me, and now I had no weapon to help me on my journey. I'd have to walk on foot. It was the only way.

Starting my trek up the hill, I watched the blackness web out, chasing my veins. I was running out of time.

Where was I, anyway? I had no clue. The dirt road I'd come off from was the only clue of civilization, but I didn't even know where it led, be it Pacificantis or Athenasia. No signs pointed me on my way, either. I'd never felt this alone, this hurt, this desperate for time in my life, and I didn't know if I was going to be able to keep going. The darkness- or poison, or whatever it was- was not only spreading but was slowing down my system, and my feet got heavier with each step.

_Just for a second, _my mind told me, but I wasn't sure if the words were even mine. _Lie down and sleep for a second, and then you can go on. _

I tried to fight my sudden exhaustion, but I found it was impossible. Before I went under, one last thought came to me: _Annabeth, hold on. _


	14. Chapter 14- Luke and Annabeth's POV

**Hey guys, Qwerty here. I just want to apologize for the late update- completely my fault, I'm sorry :( Hopefully this chapter helps make up for it! **

**Disclaimer: RR owns all.**

Luke's POV

I looked at Annabeth's prone form, thinking idly she looked much more peaceful asleep. I had no doubts she really was Athena's lost daughter- she was a spitting image of her mother. Smart like her too, apparently; that was a problem.

I'd promised Athena a long time ago that if Annabeth ever was found, I'd bring her home immediately and marry her. I'd sworn on Annabeth's dagger- the most serious promise that can be made. I'd intended to keep my promise, too- Annabeth was an attractive woman, and in line for the throne, not to mention she'd been somewhat a childhood crush for me. I hadn't, however, counted on Annabeth knowing the truth.

Somehow, she _knew _I'd stolen that money from the treasury all those years ago. I'd only done it to get my father's attention, but when Athena had ordered the culprit to be punished by death… well, I wasn't about to confess. Yet Annabeth knew. If she told her mother… no, I couldn't keep my promise.

Once, I might have felt guilt for my easy dismissal of the broken promise. Not anymore; I'd since learned the only person I can trust is myself. This world, the people I was surrounded by; they were all liars, in the end. Why should I be truthful, when no one else was? Just look at my father, who'd promised to be a good parent. That one hadn't lasted long. No, breaking this promise only brought me one concern; Annabeth's dagger.

I'd need to get it from her, and destroy it. Because I'd made a promise over her dagger that I wasn't about to keep, the blade would be lethal. Trying to use it for anything would result in deadly poison spilling from the blade, consuming its victim and destroying anything in its path. On the other hand, if I'd kept my promise, the blade would have gained the power to heal- not that that was going to happen now.

I couldn't just ask her for her dagger, though; she might not even have it with her. And I wasn't about to explain why I wanted it. There was only one other option; grabbing the shackles from my bag, I latched them to her wrists, feeling a pang of guilt despite myself. Shackling Annabeth, my childhood friend (and technically, my fiancée) like a common slave wasn't as easy as I wished it was. I kept seeing her as a toddler, running through the stone halls with me and laughing, my best friend-

_Stop. You can't be weak. _Firming my resolve, I turned away from the sleeping blonde, instead watching the stars shimmer in the sky. I've heard people say that stars look beautiful and cheerful, but looking at them now, that wasn't what I saw. They looked cold and distant, like remote entities watching over the earth in indifference; as if it was all a game, and someone was messing with my head.

I turned away once more, irritated with myself. I was being ridiculous. Crawling under my blanket, I shut my eyes, letting sleep claim me. That night I dreamed of stars, their eyes on some remote figure; no one saw me any longer.

* * *

Annabeth's POV

I waited until the Duke's breathing evened out before opening my eyes fully, taking in my surroundings. It had been easy enough to feign sleep, up until Luke had put the shackles on me; I'd struggled not to flinch away at that point.

Sitting up, I winced as the chains binding my wrists clinked together. Luke rolled over, but didn't wake. Breathing a sigh of relief, I studied the lock on the chains. If I planned to escape and go rescue Percy, I'd have to escape these shackles first; it would do no good if I woke up the entire forest attempting to silently slip away.

To my relief, I saw the lock was a simple one that I could pick easily. I slowly reached for my dagger, only to freeze; I'd given the weapon to Percy. _Think, Annabeth, think! What else can you use to pick a lock? _I thought desperately, my mind racing.

Glancing over at the Duke quickly to ensure he was still asleep, something caught my eye. Peering through the darkness at the grass by my knees, I saw one of my hair pins had fallen out while I'd been pretending to be asleep.

_Perfect! _

Moving my hand slowly, so as to keep the chains as still as possible, I grabbed the pin. I managed to get it in the lock, but soon discovered that it is much harder to pick a lock binding your hands than anywhere else. Without full range of my hands, it took me much longer than I would have liked to pick the lock; by the time I was done my wrists were raw and bloody from twisting them against their restraints.

Standing up I crept across the clearing, hurrying as quickly and silently as possible to where I knew Percy's cart to be. Once I got there, though, I found the door open and the cart empty; my companion was gone. I couldn't stop a pang of hurt from rippling through me.

_Of course he left. He's a bandit. Why would he wait around for you? _

_But, _argued some small part of me, _he accepted me into his group. And I told him I'd come back! Maybe he's just going to get help. _

_But am I really worth the trouble to him? _The "sensible" part of my mind remained silent, and I felt my eyes sting dangerously. Whipping the budding tears away harshly, I took a deep breath. Now was not the time to throw my own pity party- now was the time to escape.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Startled, I spun around, finding myself face-to-face with the bandit leader who was in league with Luke.

"Manage to get out, did ya?" He sneered at me. "Impressive. Too bad I'll have to kill you now." I cringed, knowing he was about to yell and wake up the others. Backed between the cart and the bandit, my escape options were cut off; I'd have to fight. It would be one against an entire troupe of thieves and criminals, and I didn't care much for those odds.

Yet, to my surprise, the bandit leader didn't yell for backup.

"I can handle you myself," he growled, answering my unspoken question. "No need to wake _Luke,_" he spat, saying the name like poison. "Thinks he's so much better than the rest of us. I'll show him, that son of a-"

While he was ranting, I took my chance. Rushing forward, I let my fist fly, feeling pride well up in me when it connected solidly with his jaw. He stumbled back, looking shocked, but quickly recovered. While the other bandit- Barlow- had been pain sensitive and weak, this one was obviously made of tougher stuff.

Eyes narrowed in fury, he grabbed my arm, twisting it up and behind my back. Pain exploded in my shoulder, but I shoved it down, focusing on the fight. I would not be beat so easily. Bringing my heel up, I swung it back so it smashed into his knee cap, sending him reeling and releasing me at the same time.

I saw my chance and tried to break for the safety of the trees, but once again the leader proved he was quicker than the others by sticking his foot out and sending me sprawling. I gasped as I slammed into the cold earth, the air thrown from my lungs. I just managed to roll away, the man's foot narrowly missing my head as he tried to kick me.

Stumbling back to my feet, I gave a deep breath, refilling my burning lungs and renewing my determination. My opponent narrowed his eyes, clearly not about to let me escape.

In that brief second I realized something; the leader was standing near my discarded shackles. If I could just get him to take a step backwards…

Then he lunged for me, a metallic gleam coming from something in his hand. My heart froze as I realized what it was. _He has a blade. He's armed, and I'm not… oh no. _I tried to dodge, but this time I wasn't fast enough, and the knife slashed down my forearm. I bit my lip to stop from crying out, holding my arm to me and purposely not looking down at the wound, though I could feel the warm blood oozing from it.

Mentally I re-assessed the situation; I was injured and closer to the shackles now, he had a knife and was further away. Things weren't going well.

That was when he made his big mistake.

Lunging for me again, the bandit made another wild swipe with his blade. Adrenaline and pain made me quicker to avoid the weapon this time, and I dove desperately to the side. The bandit's momentum carried him just past where I'd been standing only seconds before, and I watched as his ankles caught on my previous restraints. He went crashing to the ground, banging his head against a rock. Knocked out cold, he stayed down.

I backed away, ready to finally get away, and…

Bumped straight into something tall and firm. Backing up, I saw in horror it was the Duke. Our fight had woken him up, and he did not look happy. With his pale scar gleaming in the moonlight, he looked twice as deadly as the bandit leader.

"Going-" he froze mid-sentence, an odd expression on his face, before crashing to the ground. Behind him stood Thalia, her bow raised; she'd hit him over the head with it and knocked him out.

"Thalia!" I grinned. "I've never been happier to see you in my life!"

"I'll admit, Chase," she said, examining the glade. "You've got a knack for trouble. We should get out of here before they wake up," she added, gesturing to the prone forms only a few feet away.

"Right," I agreed, exhaustion catching up with me. "Lead the way."

"We'll be- wait. Where's Percy?"

I froze. Thalia was here, not with my traveling companion. He hadn't gone for help or abandoned me after all.

_So where was Percy? _

**Dun dun dun! :) Review please! They make our day! –PepCo and Qwerty**


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